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MOBILE, Ala. – Jaguar center fielder Taylor White homered and drove in three runs to lead University of South Alabama baseball to a 10-7 win over Columbia Saturday afternoon at Stanky Field.

South Alabama (9-4) captured its third consecutive win and improved to 6-2 at Stanky Field this season.

The Jaguars recorded 12 hits in the game, led by White, who collected his second career home run on a solo shot to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Jake Overstreet went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, and passed former Jaguar Brett Parker to move into seventh all-time in career at-bats (693). Brad Hook finished 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI. Nolan Earley added a double, two runs scored and an RBI, and Logan Kirkland finished with one hit, one run scored and an RBI.

Dustin Crenshaw (2-0) earned the win in six innings pitched, and allowed five runs on nine hits while striking out two. Crenshaw did not issue a walk in the game, and has now pitched 29 1/3 innings this season without giving up a walk.

South Alabama pushed three runs across in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run single by White, and an RBI single by Kirkland to take a 3-0 lead.

Columbia cut the Jaguar lead to 3-1 in the top of the fourth on  a fielder’s choice off the bat of Nick Ferraresi to score Dario Pizzano.

White extended the South Alabama lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth when he homered over the right field wall off of Columbia right-hander Geoff Whitaker. The Jaguars then loaded the bases before Overstreet delivered a two-run single to left-center field to extend the USA lead to 6-1. South Alabama added two additional runs in the inning on a fielding error by Columbia second baseman Alex Godshall to push the Jaguar lead to 8-1 through four innings.

The Lions cut the Jaguar lead to 8-5 with a four-run top of the sixth on an RBI double by Pizzano, RBI single by Alexander Aurrichio and a two-run homer to left field by Ferraresi.

South Alabama scored its final two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 10-5 lead. Brent Tanner led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and later scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Earley. Hook singled to center field later in the inning to plate Earley and double the Jaguar lead.

Columbia (2-3) cut the USA lead to 10-6 in the top of the eighth when Aurrichio singled to center field to score Pizzano, who doubled earlier in the inning.

The Lions added a run in the top of the ninth on Pizzano’s single to left field that scored Nick Crucet. Columbia brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the inning, but Jaguar right-hander Cory McGinnis forced a pop-up to third baseman Jake Overstreet for the game’s final out.

Columbia right-hander Geoff Whitaker (1-1) suffered the loss in 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits while striking out two and issuing two walks.

Pizzano went 4-for-5 with three doubles, two RBI and a run scored to lead the Lion offense. Aurrichio finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, and Ferraresi went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored.

Game three of the four-game series will be held Sunday 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:  Overstreet passed former Jaguar Brett Parker for seventh on the career at-bats list (693), and made his 166th consecutive start at third base … With three hits through the first two games of the series, Overstreet now needs three hits to move into fourth place on the all-time hits list at South Alabama … Crenshaw has not issued a walk in 29 1/3 innings following Saturday’s game … The Jaguars improved to 2-0 all-time against Columbia and 4-0 all-time against Ivy League schools.