MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama baseball split with Siena in its doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Stanky Field. The Saints knocked off the Jaguars 6-2 in game one, while USA doubled up Siena, 12-6, in game two to earn its first win of the series.
"I have to give Siena credit, they've really swung the bats well," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "They just outplayed us the first game. We couldn't get a big hit when we needed it, but I was glad to see our guys battle back. We kept answering the bell whenver they scored in the second game, and finally broke it open with a seven-run inning. But Siena is a very solid ball club, and I think they'll do very well in their league.You have to give their kids a lot of credit."
USA (7-5) will host Siena (3-8) in the series finale Sunday at noon at Stanky Field.
Game One - Siena 6, South Alabama 2
Siena righthander Justin Brantley (1-2) held the Jaguars to one run on five hits in eight innings to earn the win and lead the Saints to a 6-2 win over USA in game one. USA junior Garrett Harris (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing four runs on 10 hits in seven innings pitched.
USA junior Michael Raia pitched one inning of shutout relief, and struck out one batter, issued one walk and did not allow a hit.
Siena third baseman Mike Allen went 2-for-4 with four RBI to lead the Saints at the plate. USA catcher Brent Tanner went 3-for-4 with one run scored and a stolen base to lead the Jaguars.
Siena jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Kevin Quaranto scored on Allen's swinging-bunt single. The Saints doubled their lead in the top of the third inning when Mike Fish, who doubled to left field earlier in the inning, scored on second baseman Dan Paolini's sacrifice fly to left field.
After two scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, USA cut the Siena lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning on Heisler's sacrifice fly to left field to score Brandon Brown, who led off the inning with a single up the middle.
The Saints extended their lead to 3-1 in the top of seventh when Barbarto scored on Allen's single up the middle after leading off the inning with a double to right field.
Siena added insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning with three runs on four hits. Paolini singled through the left side to score Fish who doubled to lead off the inning. Allen later followed with a two-run single to left field to score Quaranto and Paolini.
The Jags scored one run in the bottom of the ninth on Brad Hook's sacrifice fly to left field that scored Tanner.
Game 2 - South Alabama 12, Siena 6
Dustin Crenshaw (1-0) pitched 4.1 innings of shutout relief to earn the first win of his Jaguar career. Crenshaw allowed just two hits while striking out three Siena batters.
Kyle Sumple (1-1) took the loss for the Saints, allowing nine runs on six hits in 2.1 innings pitched.
USA left fielder Adam Heisler went 4-for-5 with an RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases to lead the Jaguars at the plate. First baseman Tyler Vick went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI.
Siena catcher Gary DerHagopian went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Saints at the plate.
USA scored 10 runs in the first three innings, and used a seven-run third inning to set the tone in game two.
Siena took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by DerHagopian to score Paolini. USA answered with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead. Heisler led off with a single up the middle, and later scored on Zach Grichor's groundout to second base. Clint Reynolds singled later in the inning, and eventually scored on Jake Overstreet's groundout to shortstop.
The Saints responded with a two-spot in the top of the second inning on Giansanti's RBI double to left field that scored Cardona, and Fish's single to left field which plated Giansanti.
USA tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the second when Sean Laird led off the inning with a double to left center and later scored on Vick's groundout to shortstop.
Siena took a 4-3 lead in the top of the third inning on DerHagopian's home run to left field, however, the Jags responded with a seven-run bottom of the third, in which they sent 10 batters to the plate, to take a 10-4 lead. Heisler led off the inning with a single, stole second and scored on Grichor's single up the middle. USA then drew three consecutive walks to score the second run of the inning. Taylor White followed with a double to drive in Tanner and Overstreet. Vick then singled to score Laird, who reached on a walk. White scored on a wild pitch before Heisler collected his second hit of the inning on an RBI single through the right side to score Vick.
Both teams went scoreless until the eighth when each put up two runs. After loading the bases with a leadoff double by Cardona and consecutive walks, Siena scored on a Jaguar balk then plated its final run of the game on Quaranto's groundout to shortstop.
White led off the Jaguar eighth with a double down the right field line, and scored when Vick followed with a double to left center. Brandon Brown scored the Jaguars' final run of the game on a fielder's choice off the bat of Grichor.
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: Reynolds failed to reach base in game one, ending his on-base streak at 30 games ... In game one, Heisler failed to reach base for just the second time in 60 career games at USA ... The Jags moved to 8-4 all-time against Siena ... Kittrell moved to within three wins of his 1,000th as head coach at South Alabama.
