MOBILE, Ala. - Jake Overstreet hit a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 13-13 tie and lead University of South Alabama baseball to a 14-13 win over Southern Miss Tuesday night at Stanky Field.
The Jaguars overcame a nine-run deficit and scored 10 unanswered runs to earn the win.
Overstreet went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored, and Sean Laird went 4-for-4 with a triple, one RBI and two runs scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Adam Heisler, Zach Grichor, Taylor White, Brent Tanner, Tyler Vick and Clint Reynolds each recorded multiple hits in the contest.
Right-hander D.D. Hanks (6-1) earned the win in one inning of shutout relief, while striking out one USM batter. Left-hander Lance Baxter earned the save, his fourth of the season, in one inning of shutout relief, and allowed one hit and issued one walk.
Paxton King (0-1) took the loss in 1.1 innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits while issuing one walk.
B.A. Vollmuth went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Golden Eagles at the plate. Five Southern Miss hitters, including Vollmuth, recorded multiple hits in the game.
Jaguar pitchers Garrett Harris, Hanks and Baxter combined for 3.1 shutout innings of relief, while allowing just two hits.
The USA lead in the top of the ninth inning looked to be short-lived. Kameron Brunty led off the inning with a walk, and advanced to third on a single to right field by Vollmuth. Baxter came set and picked Brunty off of third base before delivering a pitch to the next batter. Adam Doleac then grounded into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Southern Miss (14-9) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Adam Doleac's two-run single up the middle. The Golden Eagles loaded the bases in the top of the first with two walks and a hit by pitch.
USM doubled its lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to right field by Taylor Walker, and an RBI single through the right side of the infield by Brunty.
USA cut the USM lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the third inning on when Laird was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, followed by a two-run single to right field by Vick.
Southern Miss took a 12-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning with eight runs on six hits, capped by Joey Archer's grand slam to left field. The first eight Golden Eagles reached base and scored in the inning. Vollmuth added a two-run single, Doleac added an RBI double to left field, and Brunty drew a bases loaded walk to account for the other runs in the inning.
The Jaguars scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning on Overstreet's infield single that scored Reynolds, who reached on a single earlier in the inning, to cut the Southern Miss lead to 12-4.
USM scored one run in the top of the fifth inning on Vollmuth's solo homer to left field, giving the Golden Eagles a 13-4 lead.
USA scored six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by White, RBI singles by Tanner and Reynolds, an RBI double by Heisler and a two-run single by Overstreet to cut the USM lead to 13-12.
White tied the game 13-13 in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single to left-center field to score Laird, who reached on a single earlier in the inning.
Overstreet delivered the game-winning homer with a 1-0 count and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
USA (18-10) returns to action this weekend when it hosts New Orleans in a three-game set, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at Stanky Field.
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 -
NOTES: Grichor extended his on-base streak to 29 games, dating back to May 21 of last season ... Tanner extended his on-base streak to 24 games ... Overstreet homered for the third consecutive game, marking the first time a Jaguar hitter has done so since Bunky Kateon accomplished the feat in 2008 ... USA moved to 53-26 all-time against Southern Miss, and 30-10 all-time against the Golden Eagles at Stanky Field ... Tuesday marked the fourth consecutive game USA has scored 10 or more runs, marking the first time a Jaguar team has accomplished the feat since 2008.
