MOBILE, Ala - University of South Alabama baseball first baseman Brad Hook tied the game with a solo home run in the eighth inning, before the Jaguars loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and scored the game-winning run on a walk-off balk by Florida Atlantic pitcher Ryan Bernal to knock off the Owls 6-5 Saturday night at Stanky Field.
Florida Atlantic took a 5-4 lead with a three-run eighth inning, before Hook led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo shot to right field, his second of the season, to tie the game 5-5.
USA third baseman Jake Overstreet led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a bunt single down the third base line, and moved to third on Sean Laird's double to left field. FAU then intentionally walked Taylor White to load the bases, and Bernal followed by striking out Hook. Bernal then balked in the winning run with two outs before throwing a pitch to Jaguar shortstop Brandon Brown.
"It was a huge comback with Hook's home run to give us a chance to win it in the ninth," USA head coach Steve Kittrell said. "[Sean] Laird had a big hit in the inning, and so did [Jake] Overstreet. Lance Baxter did a very good job of keeping the game well under control, and I thought Carlton Paris did very well for us out of the bullpen tonight."
With the win, South Alabama re-gained first place in the Sun Belt Conference standings.
South Alabama catcher Brent Tanner went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Laird and Clint Reynolds added two hits each for USA, and Hook went 1-for-2 with a home run, one RBI and a run scored.
FAU shortstop Nick Delguidice went 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI to lead the Owls at the plate.
Jaguar right-hander Carlton Paris (3-2) pitched two innings of shutout relief, allowing just one hit while striking out one.
FAU right-hander Ryan Bernal (5-2) took the loss in 0.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two and issuing one walk.
South Alabama left-hander Lance Baxter tossed five scoreless innings, but did not factor in the decision.
FAU (30-17, 18-8 SBC) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly to right field by Andy Mee to score Raymond Church, who led off the game with a double to left field.
USA tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first when USA center fielder Taylor White drew a bases loaded walk to score Overstreet, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. The Jags loaded the bases on Overstreet's fielder's choice, a single by Tanner and walk by Laird.
In the top of the fourth inning, Zach Grichor led off with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on Adam Heisler's bunt single, before Tanner delivered a three-run homer, his seventh of the season, over the right field wall to give the Jags a 4-1 lead.
FAU cut the Jaguar lead in half in the top of the sixth inning when designated hitter Eddie Cassidy drilled a solo home run to left field, cutting the USA lead to 4-2.
The Owls scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 5-4 lead. Mee led off the inning with a single, and scored on Dan Scheffler's RBI double to left center. Scheffler scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Delguidice. FAU pinch-runner Nathan Pittman replaced Cassidy, who reached base on a walk, and later scored on Sean Bukovich's double to right-center field.
South Alabama answered in the bottom of the eighth when Hook, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the eighth inning, led off with a solo shot to right field to tie the game 5-5.
USA (29-19, 16-7 SBC) will return to action Sunday afternoon with the rubber game of its three-game series with Florida Atlantic at 1 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: Heisler extended his on-base streak to 28 games, and extended his hit streak to 10 games ... Heisler has now hit safely in 20 of his last 21 games ... Tanner has reached base safely in 31 of his last 32 games ... USA improved to 4-7 all-time against FAU, and 2-3 all-time against the Owls at Stanky Field.
