MOBILE, Ala - Right-hander Garrett Harris scattered six hits in 8.2 innings pitched, and tossed seven shutout innings to lead University of South Alabama baseball to a 5-4 win over New Orleans Saturday afternoon at Stanky Field.
Harris (4-2) allowed four runs while striking out three in the longest start of his Jaguar career. The Columbus, Miss., native retired 17 of 18 batters at one point, and surrendered just three hits through eight innings. Left-hander Lance Baxter recorded his fifth save of the season in 0.1 innings pitched.
"Garrett [Harris] really set the tempo," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "We had some key two-out base hits early in the game that we scored a couple of runs on each time. I thought their pitcher, [Jim] McGonigle, was very good. He did a good job changing speeds on us, but Brandon Brown made a sensational catch to keep them from tying the game in the ninth inning."
Adam Heisler went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI to lead USA at the plate. Sean Laird and Jake Overstreet also added two hits each for the Jaguars. Saturday marked the sixth consecutive game Overstreet has recorded multiple hits.
With the win, USA clinched its fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference series.
UNO right-hander Jim McGonigle (2-2) took the loss for the Privateers in seven innings, allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out three and issuing one walk.
Rodarrick Jones went 2-for-3 with a double and one run scored to lead New Orleans at the plate. Ryan Eden added a home run and two RBI.
USA took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Overstreet doubled down the left field line, and scored on an RBI double by Brent Tanner. Laird followed with an RBI single to score Tanner.
The Jags added a run in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI double by Heisler that scored Brad Hook, who singled to lead off the inning.
New Orleans (8-17, 1-10 SBC) cut the USA lead to 3-2 in the top of the third inning with two runs on two hits. Jones led off the inning with a double down the right field line, and scored on Eden's groundout to third. Clint Ourso scored the Privateers final run of the inning on a wild pitch, after reaching base on a bunt single.
Clint Reynolds extended the Jaguar lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double to left field to score Brown, who reached base on a hit by pitch. Heisler increased the USA lead to 5-2 with a two-out RBI single to right field to score Reynolds.
The Privateers scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning on three hits to cut the Jaguar lead to 5-4 before Baxter closed out the game. Eden led off the inning with a solo home run to left field to cut the USA lead to 5-3. Nick Schwaner followed with a single up the middle, and moved to third on Nolan Church's single to right field. Schwaner scored one batter later on Mike Petello's sacrifice fly to left field and cut the Jaguar lead to one run. Craig Schnell, who pinch-ran for Church, stole second base and advanced to third on a passed ball. Jay Morris then delivered what looked to be a game-tying hit before Brown made an over-the-shoulder diving catch in center field to end the game.
USA (20-10, 9-2 SBC) will return to action Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. when it concludes its series with UNO.
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: USA second baseman Zach Grichor did not reach base, ending his on-base streak at 30 games ... Tanner extended his on-base streak to 26 games ... Reynolds extended his hitting streak to nine games with a double in the fourth inning ... Overstreet recorded his sixth consecutive game with multiple hits ... Laird has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games ... The Jags totaled nine hits in the game, breaking a streak of eight games in which they have totaled 10 or more hits ... USA moved to 83-60 all-time against UNO ... The Jaguars moved to 4-1 in Saturday conference games this season.
