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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team pounded out 21 hits, led by Brent Tanner’s career-high five-hit performance, to defeat Nicholls State 9-8 Tuesday evening at Stanky Field.
Every Jaguar starter recorded a hit in the game, while seven Jags recorded multiple hit, led by Tanner who finished 5-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Nolan Earley went 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored, and Trey Sorrells, Jordan Patterson and Jeff DeBlieux had two hits and an RBI apiece.
USA right-hander Kyle Dees (4-1) earned the win in 3 2/3 innings pitched, allowing one run on five hits with one strikeout and one walk. Jarrett Bailey came on in the ninth and struck out the only batter he faced to earn his first career save.
NSU left-hander Brad Delatte (2-4) suffered the loss in 2 2/3 innings pitched, allowing five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
Bear Comer went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run scored and one walk, and Jason Dennis went 3-for-3 with a double, one RBI and a run scored to lead the Colonels at the plate. Jeremy Hill, Michael LeGrange and Austin Flores added two hits apiece.
Nicholls State (16-17) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Hill, but the Jaguars answered to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Earley singled to center field to score Overstreet, who reached on a walk earlier in the inning.
The Colonels added a run in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Comer to take a 2-1 lead, and extended their lead to 3-1 in the top of the third on an RBI double by Moseley.
South Alabama cut the NSU lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the third on Earley’s RBI single to right field, and tied the game on Tanner’s single through the right side of the infield that scored Jake Overstreet. The Jags loaded the bases later in the inning and took a 4-3 lead when DeBlieux delivered a two-out single to first base in which he dove ahead of NSU relief pitcher Ryan Norton who was covering the bag on the play.
Nicholls State loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fourth on singles by Dennis and Comer and a base on balls by Flores, but Jaguar starting pitcher Jeff Miller worked out of the jam by forcing a fly out to right by Jaramillo, pop up to third off the bat of Hill and grounder to shortstop by Blake Bergeron.
USA extended its lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out RBI single to center field by Patterson, allowing Earley to score from second. Sorrells doubled the USA lead to 6-3 one batter later with a single up the middle to score Tanner.
The Colonels scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 7-6 lead on RBI singles by Mace Krol, Dennis, Flores and Comer.
South Alabama tied the game 7-7 in the bottom of the fifth when DeBlieux led off the inning with a single and later scored on a wild pitch. The Jags added two more runs in the inning on a passed ball and an RBI double by Tanner to take a 9-7 lead.
From that point on, the Jaguar bullpen took command, allowing one run on two hits.
South Alabama (16-16) will return to action Wednesday, when it travels to New Orleans for a 6:30 p.m. contest with Tulane at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.
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: Tanner recorded a career-high five hits … Bailey recorded his first career save as a Jaguar … Kirkland extended his hitting streak to 17 games … Every Jaguar starter recorded a hit in the game … With the win, South Alabama improved to 30-13 all-time against Nicholls State.
