DELAND, Fla. ? With the score tied at 2-2 and runners on first and second with one down in the bottom of the ninth, Nathaniel Lami hit what could have been an inning-ending, double-play grounder to Michael Stalter, the Southern Illinois shortstop.
Stalter flipped to Scott Elmendorf at second, but Elmendorf’s throw to first bounced past Jordan Sivertsen, and Jake Overstreet came around to score as the University of South Alabama defeated Southern Illinois 3-2 in walk-off fashion Friday at Melching Field.
Overstreet started the rally with an infield single, then advanced to second when Sean Laird walked.
USA (3-4) got on the board in the fifth when Sean Laird led off with a double to left-center. He advanced to third with one out on a wild pitch, and freshman Brad Hook, making the first start of his young career, stepped to the plate.
Hook fell behind 0-2, then fouled off four straight before hitting a 1-2 offering over the wall in straightaway center field for a two-run homer, and the Jags took a 2-0 lead on Hook’s first collegiate hit.
Matt Jackson went 8.1 innings and allowed only two unearned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. The first time he faced trouble was in the fifth, when SIU (1-5) put a runner on third with one out. Jackson escaped that jam with a strikeout and a groundout, but a two-out error led to two unearned runs in the sixth.
SIU looked like it had a chance to take the lead after a leadoff single and a balk put Sivertsen on second base with no outs in the seventh, but Sean Laird made a tough catch on a low liner to right and doubled-off Sivertsen with a perfect throw back to second base.
Jackson ran into trouble in the ninth after a one-out walk and a bunt single. Brandon Brown, who made his first start at shortstop, came on in relief and recorded a strikeout and a flyout to keep the game tied at 2-2 going to the bottom of the ninth.
USA returns to the diamond Saturday for a 1p.m. meeting with Iowa in the third game of the Bright House Invitational. The Jags play tournament-host Stetson Sunday at 4 p.m.
Notes: David Doss knocked a fourth-inning single that moved him into a four-way tie for third place on USA’s all-time hits list with 230 ... He is tied with Ryan Mulhern, Scott Calahan and I.B. Stacy ... Clint Reynolds extended his career-long hitting streak to five games with a fifth-inning single ... Ryan Bohanan has a six-game hitting streak, and has hit safely in 15 of 16 dating back to 2008.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
