LAFAYETTE, La. ? Brandon Sage went 7.0 innings and allowed three runs, and Lance Baxter worked the final two innings for his fourth save of the week as the University of South Alabama completed a sweep of Louisiana-Lafayette with a 7-4 win Sunday at Tigue Moore Field.
Ryan Bohanan homered and notched the first four-hit game of his career with a 4-for-5 effort, and Adam Heisler went 3-for-5 and also homered.
USA (18-20, 8-10 SBC) had scored first in seven straight games before ULL (18-19-1, 8-12 SBC) plated three runs with no outs in the first inning.
Sage allowed a leadoff single to Greg Fontenot, then Matt Goulas reached on a error before Travis Whipple knocked a two-run triple. Chad Keefer followed with a RBI single, but Sage got a double play to escape the inning with the Jags trailing 3-0.
ULL starter Justin Robichaux held the Jags scoreless and recorded seven strikeouts through the first three innings before running into trouble in the fourth when a pair of errors led to five unearned runs.
Adam Heisler led off with an infield single, but he was erased when David Doss reached on a fielder’s choice. Ryan Bohanan and Matt Drake reached on consecutive fielding errors by third baseman William Long to load the bases with one out.
Jake Overstreet singled in one run, then Derek O'Reilly tied the game with a two-run double. Chris Davis’ sacrifice fly gave USA the lead, and Clint Reynolds singled in another run to put the Jags ahead 5-3.
Meanwhile, Sage settled down and went nearly two times through the order without allowing a hit. Long led off the second with a single, and the Cajuns didn’t record another hit until Les Smith singled with two outs in the sixth.
The Jags added insurance runs on a pair of solo homers. Bohanan’s fifth-inning shot put the Jags ahead 6-3, and Heisler added a homer in the ninth after the Cajuns had cut the lead to 6-4 one inning earlier.
Sage finally ran into trouble in the eighth and handed the ball to Baxter after allowing back-to-back singles to start the inning. With the potential tying run at the plate, Baxter got a strikeout and two flyouts to end the threat.
ULL threatened again in the ninth when Alex Fuselier reached on an error and Kyle Bostick singled to bring again bring the potential tying run to the plate with no outs. Yet again, Baxter stepped up to the challenge. He got Fontenot to ground into a double play, and after hitting Goulas with a pitch, he caught Travis Whipple looking to end the game and complete the sweep.
Baxter saved all three games of the weekend series and also saved the Jags other win of the week in Tuesday’s victory over Auburn. He had never recorded a save before the win over the Tigers.
USA returns to action Tuesday when it travels to Thibodeaux, La. for a rematch with Nicholls. The Jags then return home for a showdown with in-state rival Alabama. The Jags are 3-0 at home this season against teams from the Southeastern Conference.
Notes: The sweep was the first for the Jags against ULL since 1999 and the first in Lafayette since 1995 ... It was also the first road sweep since the Jags defeated UALR in three games April 14-16, 2006 ... It was the first time on record a Jag pitcher saved all three games of a weekend series ... All three starting pitchers went at least 6.0 innings and recorded wins ... Ryan Bohanan extended his hitting streak to six games. He has reached base safely in a career-best 15 games ... Derek O'Reilly extended his career-long streak of games reaching base safely to 17, while Jake Overstreet (12 games) and David Doss (11 games) extended their streaks ... O’Reilly has also hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games ... Zach Grichor’s streak of reaching base in 13 straight was snapped.
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).
