MOBILE, Ala. - Louisiana-Monroe scored 11 runs in the final two innings to avoid a sweep and knock off University of South Alabama baseball 17-8 Sunday afternoon at Stanky Field.

ULM left fielder Kelvin York went 3-for-6 with two home runs, a double, eight RBI and three runs scored to lead the Warhawks at the plate. Judd Edwards went 4-for-6 with an RBI and three runs scored, and Caleb Clowers went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored. Nick Wade went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, and was one of seven Warhawks who recorded multiple hits in the game.

Right-hander Jordy Poche (3-3) earned the win in 7.1 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits while striking out five and issuing only one walk. Poche also went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI at the plate for the Warhawks.

Jaguar left-hander Lance Baxter (5-1) took the loss in four innings, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out three and walking one.

USA center fielder Taylor White went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Brent Tanner and Jake Overstreet added two hits each.

Kelvin Jones gave the Warhawks a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when he delivered a two-run home run over the left field wall.

ULM extended its lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning when Clowers scored on a sacrifice fly by Wade, after leading off the inning with a double.

The Warhawks scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 5-0 lead. Jarrett Hammond reached on a fielding error by Brandon Brown, and later scored on Shane Ardoin's single. Clowers followed with an RBI double to right field to score Ardoin.

USA cut the Warhawk lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning on Brown's RBI single to center field that scored White, who doubled to lead off the inning. Brown later came around to score on a fielding error by ULM first baseman Judd Edwards.

The Jags cut the ULM lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI single by White which scored Overstreet, who singled to lead off the inning.

ULM doubled its lead to 6-3 in the top of the seventh inning when Poche singled to left field to score Wade, who led off the inning with a single to left field.

The Warhawks scored six runs in the top of the eighth inning on RBI singles by Clowers and Wade, a three-run double by York and RBI double by Poche to take a 12-3 lead.

USA answered with a five-run eighth inning to cut the ULM lead to 12-8. White delivered a two-run, bases-loaded single to center field to score Zach Grichor, who reached on a walk, and Tanner, who doubled earlier in the inning. Sean Laird reached base on a hit by pitch earlier in the frame, and scored on a balk to cut the Warhawk lead to 12-6. Clint Reynolds followed with a two-run single to right field to score Brown and White.

ULM then scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning on four hits to take a 17-8 lead. Ardoin scored on Wade's sacrifice fly to center field, and Edwards followed with an RBI single to right field. York then delivered the final blow, a three-run home run to left field that scored Edwards and Blanchard.

"Louisiana-Monroe played much better than their record indicated all weekend," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "They came out swinging the bats today, and you have to give them a lot of credit. They played really well, and their pitcher [Jordy] Poche kept us off balance. They just broke loose with the bats, and had some huge hits when they had to have them."

USA (26-15, 13-5 SBC) returns to action next weekend with a three-game SBC series at Arkansas State, beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

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:  Heisler extended his on-base streak to 21 games with a single in the fourth inning ... Laird extended his on-base streak to 16 games when he reached in the eighth inning after being hit by a pitch ... USA fell to 16-9 all-time against ULM, and 13-5 all-time against the Warhawks at Stanky Field.