JONESBORO, Ark. ? Jordan Kimball’s walk-off single capped a two-out, two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth as Arkansas State plated six runs over the last two innings to knock off the University of South Alabama 8-7 at Tomlinson Stadium.
With South Alabama (10-14, 1-6 SBC) reliever Greg Johnson one strike away from wrapping up a 7-6 Jag win, Derrick Coleman poked a double down the left field line, and Giovanni Garcia follow with a RBI single to tie the game at 7-7.
Garcia then stole second base and was replaced by pinch runner Jacob Lee after being injured on the play. Kimball then hit what looked like a routine pop-up to left field, but the howling wind let the ball drop in front of USA left fielder Clint Reynolds, and Lee came home to give Arkansas State (11-12, 6-5) a walk-off win.
Sean Laird plated the Jags’ first and last runs of the night. He led off the second inning with a home run to left-center, and after Arkansas State had tied the game at 6-6 with four runs in the eighth, Laird answered with a RBI double off the center field wall to give USA a 7-6 lead going to the bottom of the ninth. He finished the night 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI.
The Jags got another run in the second when Jake Overstreet reached base after being hit by a pitch and came home on Reynolds’ sacrifice fly. It was a sign of things to come, as Reynolds brought in Overstreet in each of his next two trips to the plate.
Overstreet doubled with one out in the fourth, and Reynolds laid down a two-out bunt single to bring him home and put the Jags ahead 3-0. After Arkansas State cut the lead to 3-2, Overstreet led off the sixth with another double and came around to score on Reynolds groundout to give USA a 4-2 lead.
Jag starter Matt Jackson allowed his only two runs of the night on a two-run homer by Todd Baumgartner in the bottom of the fifth. After working into the eighth inning in four of his first five starts, Jackson was forced to leave the game with an injury after throwing three pitches in the sixth inning.
Chris LaGrow worked a scoreless sixth inning, and Miles Ethridge worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh before running into more trouble in the eighth. Ethridge allowed a two-out RBI single to Guy Brown, and Baumgartner followed with a wind-aided, three-run homer to right field that tied the game at 6-6.
USA returns to action Saturday when it takes on Arkansas State at 2 p.m. Junior southpaw Lance Baxter is slated to start of the Jags against fellow lefty Jett Jones.
Notes: Zach Grichor’s 15-game hitting streak came to an end with his 0-for-4 ... Matt Jackson had worked into the eighth inning in four of his previous five starts.
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).
