JONESBORO, Ark. ? Jake Overstreet’s eighth-inning RBI single brought in Ryan Bohanan with the go-ahead run, and the University of South Alabama added on six more runs in a 10-3 win over Arkansas State Saturday at Tomlinson Stadium.
David Doss got the eighth-inning rally started with his second double of the game. He came around to tie the game at 3-3 when Ryan Bohanan followed with a double, and Nathaniel Lami delivered the Jags’ fourth straight hit with a double of his own that brought in Overstreet.
South Alabama (11-14, 2-6 SBC) entered the eighth inning trailing 3-2. Arkansas State (10-13, 5-6 SBC) starter Jett Jones had retired 11 straight before Doss’ one-out double, but he ended up taking the loss after allowing four runs in 7.1 innings.
The Red Wolves got on the board in the first when Guy Brown came home on Murray Watts’ RBI single off Jag starter Lance Baxter. USA would answer in the top of the third when Overstreet delivered a two-out, two-run single to give the Jags a 2-1 lead.
Baxter was unable to hold the lead in the bottom half of the inning when an error led to an unearned run and Derrick Coleman delivered a sacrifice fly to give ASU a 3-2 lead. Both pitchers settled down and didn’t allow any runs over the next four innings before the Jags broke out with four runs in both the eighth and ninth innings.
With the win, Baxter improved to 3-2 on the season. He scattered seven hits in 7.0 innings and allowed only two earned runs.
The Jags added to their lead in the top of the ninth off ASU reliever Cory Lambert. Again, it was Doss starting the one-out rally with a hit. Bohanan, Overstreet, Lami and O’Reilly followed with singles to give the Jags five consecutive hits.
Overstreet went 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, and Doss also collected three hits and scored three times. Lami and Bohanan both had multi-hit games and scored two times each. USA’s four through seven hitters combined to go 10-for-18 with nine runs and six RBI.
Greg Johnson came on in relief of Baxter in the eighth and worked the Jags’ first perfect inning of the game. Because David Doss had started the game as the designated hitter and had to move behind the plate when a pinch hitter was sent in for Brad Hammac, Johnson had to enter the Jag lineup.
He came up to bat for the first time in his career with a runner on second and two outs in the ninth. Johnson hacked at the first pitch and just missed a RBI double when his grounder down the left field line was ruled foul, but he still managed to reach base safely when he was hit by the next pitch.
Though bruised, Johnson was able to work around a one-out single in the ninth to record his first save of the season with 2.0 scoreless innings.
The Jags look to take the series in Sunday’s 1 p.m. finale. Senior lefty Brandon Sage is slated to start for USA, and Arkansas State has not yet announced a starter. USA has not won a series in Jonesboro since sweeping the Red Wolves in 2000.
Notes: David Doss had three hits to extend his hitting streak to four straight and 18 of the last 19 ... He doubled twice, extending his all-time doubles lead with numbers 59 and 60 of his career ... Greg Johnson made his first career plate appearance and was hit by a pitch in the ninth ... Lance Baxter saw three pitches before being pinch hit for in what would have been the first at-bat of his career in the eighth.
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).
