MOBILE, Ala. - Wichita State scored in the first four innings, including a five-run fourth inning, to defeat South Alabama 15-10 Sunday at Stanky Field and claim the 25th Annual South Alabama Classic.
WSU (3-0) left-hander Charlie Lowell earned the win in 4.0 innings pitched, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out one and walking three. Jaguar right-hander Jarrett Bailey (0-2) took the loss in three innings pitched, allowing six runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
Cody Lassley went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Shockers at the plate. USA was led by senior Adam Heisler, who finished 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBI. Taylor White also added three hits, and Sean Laird and Jake Overstreet added two hits each.
"It's a disappointing loss, but it's early and we just have to keep growing and getting better," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "You have to give a lot of credit to Wichita State. They looked like a good ball club. They made some big plays against us, defensively, and that's what a good ball club does - they capitalize on double-play situations."
The Shockers put up two runs in the top of the first inning an RBI double to left center field by Travis Bennett, that scored Springer and McKeever who reached on consecutive walks.
USA answered in the bottom of the first on Laird's RBI single to center field that scored Zach Grichor, who walked earlier in the inning.
WSU doubled its lead in the top of the second on Lassley's solo home run to center field. The Shockers extended their lead to 4-1 in the top of the third when Lassley drove in Clint McKeever on a sacrifice fly to right field.
Wichita State scored five runs on four hits in the top of the fifth to take a 9-1 lead, aided by a two-run home run to right-center field by Preston Springer. Will Baez doubled down the left field line, scoring Kevin Hall who led off the inning with a walk. Right fielder Ryan Jones later doubled to center field to score McKeever who reached on a walk. The Shockers added their fifth run of the inning on a fielder's choice off the bat of Tyler Grimes.
USA cut the WSU lead to 9-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning on three hits. Following a leadoff walk to Overstreet and single to Laird, White singled to right center to score Overstreet from second base. Jaguar catcher Brad Hammac followed with an RBI single down the left field line that scored Laird.
After holding the Shockers scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, the Jags scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the WSU lead to 9-5. White led off the inning with a single, and later scored on a throwing error by WSU pitcher Grant Muncrief. Heisler followed with a single to right field that scored Reynolds, who singled earlier in the inning.
WSU tacked on a run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Baez which scored Hall, who doubled to left field to lead off the inning.
USA answered to cut the Shockers' lead to 10-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning when Brent Tanner singled to right field to score White, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.
The Shockers added one run in the eighth inning on Lassley's second home run of the game to take a 11-6 lead. In the top of the ninth, WSU scored four runs on four hits to extend its lead to 15-6, with the big blow coming on a three-run home run by McKeever over the left field wall.
South Alabama scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth on four hits. Reynolds drove in White, who doubled to lead off the inning, on a sacrifice fly to center field. Grichor followed with a double to score Dominic Diaz, who singled earlier in the inning. Heisler then delivered a two-run home run over the right field wall to score the Jags final runs of the game.
Springer, WSU's designated hitter, was named the most valuable player of the 25th Annual South Alabama Classic after hitting .643 with two home runs, six RBI and nine runs scored. He is the third Shocker to earn MVP honors of the classic, and the first since Matt Brown was voted the tournament's most valuable player in 2006.
The Shockers won the South Alabama Classic after going 3-0 on the weekend, marking the first time they have won the tournament since 2002.
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).
USA vs. Eastern Michigan
With the score tied at 14, South Alabama loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning on back-to-back singles from Reynolds and Grichor and an intentional walk to Heisler. Overstreet then delivered the game-winning hit down the right field line to score Reynolds and give the Jags their third win in four games. It also marked the largest deficit USA has overcome since March 17, 2004, when the Jaguars faced an eight-run deficit against Eastern Illinois.
USA left-hander Lance Baxter (1-0) earned the win in one inning of shutout relief, allowing just three hits and striking out one. Brett Cisper (1-1) took the loss for the Eagles in 0.1 inning of relief. Cisper allowed one run on five hits and issued one walk after coming in to record the third out of the eighth inning.
Laird went 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Overstreet finished 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored.
Daniel Russell went 3-for-4 with a triple, three RBI and three runs scored to lead the Eagles.
EMU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning on RBI singles by Russell, Aaron Crooks and Aaron Chavez. Todd Graves drove in the Eagles' other run in the inning on a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Eagles extended their lead to 7-0 in the top of the second with three runs on three hits. Ken Battiston drove in Brent Ohrman with an RBI double to right center, before Russell singled to drive in Ben Magsig and Battison.
After adding a run in the top of the third, EMU increased its lead to 11-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Russell led off with a double, and scored one batter later on Zack Leonard's single up the middle. Battiston singled later in the inning to score Leonard, before Chavez scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.
EMU (2-4) starting pitcher Corey Chaffins held the Jags scoreless until the fifth inning, when USA exploded for five runs on seven hits. The Jaguars collected five consecutive singles (Heisler, Overstreet, Tanner, Laird and White) to cut the Eagles' lead to 11-3. USA added its final two runs of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Grichor, and a throwing error by Leonard which scored White.
Eastern Michigan extended its lead to 13-5 after scoring runs in the fifth and sixth innings on wild pitches. USA answered in the bottom of the seventh with two runs on two hits. Tanner collected an RBI on a groundout to the pitcher which scored Grichor, and Laird followed with an RBI single to score Heisler to cut the EMU lead to 13-7.
The Eagles scored another run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Ohrman to score Crooks and push their lead to 14-7.
But in the bottom of the eighth, the Jaguars scored seven runs on five hits to tie the game, aided by a two-run double by Heisler and a three-run home run off the bat of Laird, which tied the game at 14-14.
The first three Jaguar batters in the bottom of the ninth reached safely before Overstreet delivered his walk-off single.
USA (5-3) returns to action Tue., March 2, when it travels to Starkville, Miss., for a 4 p.m. contest against Mississippi State.
NOTES: Reynolds extended his on-base streak to 28 games, dating back to April 15 of last season ... Heisler has now reached base safely in 56 of 57 career games at USA ... Baxter earned a win and two saves over the weekend, and did not allow a run ... Kittrell moved to within five games of his 1,000th win as head coach at South Alabama ... The Jags fell to 5-8 all-time against Wichita State, but improved to 4-1 all-time against Eastern Michigan ... USA combined for 52 hits in four games over the weekend.
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