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MOBILE, Ala. – Trey Sorrells delivered the game-winning single with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 5-3 win over Florida Atlantic Friday evening at Stanky Field.

Brent Tanner singled to center field and Jordan Patterson doubled down the left field line before Sorrells lined FAU right-hander Hugh Adams’ 1-1 pitch to left field to give the Jaguars a two-run cushion heading into the final frame.

USA right-hander Cory McGinnis came on in the ninth inning to record his third save of the season.

Phillip Byrd (1-0) pitched one perfect inning in relief of Jaguar starter Garrett Harris to earn his first win of the season. Byrd faced three batters in the eighth inning and recorded one strikeout. McGinnis and Byrd combined for two innings of shutout relief.

Harris pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on 11 hits while striking out six and issuing three walks without factoring in the decision.

FAU left-hander Ahmed Garcia (1-1) suffered the loss in one inning of relief, and allowed two runs on two hits. Adams pitched 2/3 innings and allowed one hit and one walk. FAU starting pitcher Ryan Garton tossed 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking three without factoring in the decision.

Logan Kirkland went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored and Brent Tanner went 2-for-4 with one run to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Nolan Earley added a double and two RBI, and Sorrells had one hit and two RBI.

Andy Mee went 4-for-5 with a run scored to lead the Owls at the plate. Alex Hudak finished 3-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, and Mark Nelson went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Taylor White gave the Jaguars a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when he singled to center field to score Kirkland, who led off the inning with a double down the left field line.

But the Owls answered to even the score 1-1 in the top of the fourth when Raymond Church scored on Mike Spano’s groundout to second. FAU took a 2-1 lead later in the inning on Nelson’s RBI single to right field that scored Nick Delguidice, who reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the frame.

Hudak added to the FAU lead with a two-out single to center in the top of the fifth inning to give the Owls a 3-1 lead.

South Alabama (15-14, 5-5 SBC) tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Earley hit a two-out double in the right-center field gap to score White and Jake Overstreet. The inning was extended when White reached on an error by Garton, who failed to step on first base while covering the bag on White's grounder to first. Overstreet followed with a single through the right side of the infield ahead of Earley.

From there, neither team pushed a run across until Sorrells gave the Jaguars the lead in the bottom of the eighth.

Florida Atlantic (17-13, 5-5 SBC) outhit the Jaguars 11-9 in the game, but did not have an extra-base hit in the contest.

The series will continue with game two Saturday at 2 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).



NOTES:  Kirkland extended his hitting streak to 14 games, and has hit safely in 25 of 28 games this season … Tanner recorded his 13th multiple-hit game of the season … Earley recorded his fifth multiple-RBI game of the season, while Sorrells drove in multiple runs for the third time this year …  South Alabama improved to 5-9 all-time against Florida Atlantic, and 3-4 against the Owls at Stanky Field.