MOBILE, Ala. - Louisiana-Lafayette scored two unearned runs in the top of the ninth inning with two outs to knock off University of South Alabama baseball 3-1 Friday night at Stanky Field in Sun Belt Conference action.

USA right-hander D.D. Hanks (4-1) took the loss in 8.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out 10 ULL batters. Hanks retired the first two Ragin' Cajun batters in the top of the ninth inning before Tyler Frederick reached base when Brandon Brown's throw pulled first baseman Brad Hook off of the bag to extend the inning.

ULL (11-7, 2-2) followed with three consecutive singles to open a 3-1 lead. ULL shortstop Greg Fontenot reached on a swinging-bunt single to third base, then Justin Robichaux singled to right field to score Frederick. Brian Bowman followed with a single through the left side to score Fontenot.

Hanks retired 12 consecutive Ragin' Cajun batters, six of which were strikeouts, before Frederick reached base in the bottom of the ninth.

USA seniors Zach Grichor and Sean Laird, and junior Jake Overstreet each went 1-for-3 at the plate. Bowman went 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI, one run and two stolen bases to lead the Ragin' Cajuns.

La.-Lafayette right-hander Zach Osborne (2-1) struck out a career-high 13 batters, and allowed just one run on three hits. Osborne issued just two walks in nine innings, which was his longest outing of the season.

Hanks held ULL scoreless until the fifth inning when Bowman, who reached base on a hit by pitch, scored on a wild pitch to give the Ragin' Cajuns a 1-0 lead and end Hanks' consecutive scoreless innings streak at 19.2 innings.

USA answered in the bottom of the fifth inning with one run on two hits. Grichor led off the inning with a single to center field, and moved to third on Laird's single to left center. Grichor then scored on a wild pitch from Osborne to tie the game at 1-1, where the score remained until the top of the ninth inning.

"It was a great, old-fashion pitching duel," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "[Zach] Osborned pitched a great game, and so did D.D. [Hanks]. We gave them an opportunity in the ninth inning, and they took advantage of it. D.D. pitched so well, and you hate to lose a game that's pitched like that, but you have to give Osborne a lot of credit as well. It was two very good pitchers in the Sun Belt going at it. But we have to bounce back tomorrow and play a good game, and not let Friday night set the tempo for the rest of the series."

The loss is the Jaguars' first this season when they have held an opponent to three runs or less, and the first since the 2007 Sun Belt Conference Tournament, when USA fell to La.-Lafayette 3-2.

USA (13-8, 3-1) returns to action Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. for game two of the three-game series.

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).

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NOTES: Overstreet started his 115th consecutive game at third base ... USA fell to 50-32 all-time against La.-Lafayette, and 28-10 against the Ragin' Cajuns in regular season games at Stanky Field ... Before the game, USA head coach Steve Kittrell was presented with the game ball from his 1,000th win at South Alabama, which came Fri., March 12, against UALR.