MOBILE, Ala. ? Landis Wilson’s eighth-inning RBI single broke a 3-3 tie, and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock held on to beat the University of South Alabama 5-3 Saturday at Stanky Field.
“The guys have competed hard, but we’ve got to come up with big hits,” head coach Steve Kittrell said. “Their guys came up with big hits when they had to have them.”
USA (13-19, 4-10 SBC) starter Brandon Sage took a tough-luck loss after allowing three earned runs off four hits and three walks in 7.0 innings. He struck out six and worked into the eighth inning after pitching a nine-inning complete game Sunday.
“Brandon Sage pitched well enough to win, but with six hits you’re not going to beat many people,” said Kittrell.
Like in Friday’s opener, the Jags got on the board in their first trip to the plate. Zach Grichor hit a one-out double, advanced to third on a groundout by Sean Laird and scored when David Doss drilled a 3-2 fastball into left field for a single.
It was the second straight game Doss made the Trojans pay for throwing him a 3-2 fastball in the first inning; he knocked a two-run single to the same location in Friday’s game. Doss finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk and a RBI. He moved to within three hits of tying Mike Mordecai for the career hits record at USA.
UALR (9-22, 5-12 SBC) took its first lead of the series with a pair of runs in the third. Josh Marazzito led off with a single, Jared Powell walked, and after both runners advanced on an error, Kody Kroll delivered a two-run single.
Kroll finished 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI, while Matt Apfel was the only UALR player with multiple hits; he went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
The Trojans added to their lead when Powell knocked a RBI double in the fifth, but the Jags answered with two runs in the sixth to tie the game.
Clint Reynolds started the rally with a single, but he was erased when Adam Heisler reached on a fielder’s choice. Grichor followed with a walk, and with both runners going, Sean Laird hit a RBI single through the open hole on the left side.
Laird was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double, but Doss and Ryan Bohanan drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and chase UALR starting pitcher Jake Sullivan from the game.
JR Boling came on in relief and hit Jake Overstreet with the first pitch he threw to plate Grichor with the tying run, but he struck out Nathaniel Lami to leave the bases loaded.
Sage worked around a pair of two-out walks in the seventh, but he handed the ball to his bullpen after hitting Kroll leading off the eighth. Greg Johnson came on in relief and retired Daniel Guffey on a sacrifice bunt before allowing the go-ahead single to Wilson. Lance Baxter then stepped to the mound and got the third out of the eighth.
The Trojans attempted a double steal with runners on the corners in the ninth, and though the Jags got the lead runner, Nate Brown came home safely from third to give UALR a 5-3 lead. Tim Emmons followed with a pinch-hit double, but Baxter struck out Anthony Gower to escape the inning without further damage.
Boling shut down the Jags again in the ninth to earn the win in relief. After allowing the game-tying run when he hit Overstreet, Boling retired each of the last 10 batters he faced in order.
USA and UALR return to action in Sunday’s 1 p.m. rubber game at Stanky Field. Matt Jackson is slated to start for the Jags opposite Anthony Pryor.
Notes: Adam Heisler went 0-for-4, ending his career-long, 10-game hitting streak. His streak of games with a steal also came to an end at five ... Derek O'Reilly’s single leading off the third inning extended his hitting streak to a career-best nine games ... Sean Laird (six games) and David Doss (five games) also extended hitting streaks ... Zach Grichor has reached base safely in eight straight, and Ryan Bohanan has done so in nine straight ... The Jags will try to avoid losing a series to UALR for the first time ever in Sunday’s finale.
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).
