Box score
MONROE, La. – Jaguar right-hander Garrett Harris tossed his fourth complete game of the season to lead the No. 6-seeded University of South Alabama baseball team to a 10-6 win over No. 3 seed University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Championship at Warhawk Field.
Harris (8-3) scattered 10 hits and allowed six runs in nine innings while striking out five and issuing three walks, and allowed just four hits through the game’s first six innings.
“I made some pitches when I had to, and had some good defense behind me,” Harris said. “Brent Tanner called a great game behind the plate, and kept me in it the whole time. The offense stepped up and had some big hits and capitalized on their (Louisiana-Lafayette) errors.”
South Alabama faced a 2-1 deficit heading into the top of the fourth inning after ULL scored pushed across single runs in the second and third frames. The Jags tied the game 1-1 in the top of the third on an RBI double by Jake Overstreet before Greg Fontenot homered to right field to give the Ragin’ Cajuns a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth.
It was in the fourth frame where the ULL defense broke down, committing three errors that paved the way for a six-run Jaguar inning. After Nolan Earley reached on a throwing error by ULL shortstop Fontenot, Logan Kirkland singled to left field to move Earley to third base. But left fielder Matt Goulas’ throw was mishandled by third baseman Jordan Bourque, allowing Earley to score and tie the game 2-2. After Brad Hook reached on a walk, Jordan Patterson hit a grounder to shortstop that looked to be a routine double play. But Fontenot’s feed to Jordan Poirrier at second base sailed into right field allowing Kirkland and Hook to score to increase the USA lead to 4-2. Hunt Griffith followed with an RBI single to left field to up the Jaguar lead to 5-2. Following a single by Taylor White and sacrifice bunt by Jeff DeBlieux, Overstreet delivered a two-run single up the middle to extend the Jaguar lead to 7-2.
South Alabama (30-26) added a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to center field by Patterson to increase the lead to 8-2.
Louisiana-Lafayette answered to cut the Jaguar lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Chase Compton.
The Jags added a run in the top of the sixth when Patterson reached on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded to score Earley and push the USA lead to 9-3. South Alabama added its 10th run of the game in the top of the seventh when White scored on a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Overstreet.
ULL (32-24) added three runs in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run double by Ryan Leonards and an RBI groundout off the bat of Daniel Nichols.
Ragin’ Cajun left-hander Taylor Hubbell (5-7) suffered the loss in 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs and only one earned run on five hits. Hubbell finished with two strikeouts and two walks.
Logan Kirkland went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, and Jake Overstreet went 2-for-6 with a double and three RBI to lead South Alabama at the plate. Jordan Patterson had one hit and drove in two runs.
Fontenot went 3-for-5 with a homer, double, one RBI and a run scored to lead Louisiana-Lafayette at the plate.
“We just have to keep playing one game at a time and stay focused,” South Alabama head coach Steve Kittrell said. “The FIU game tomorrow is now the biggest game of the year.”
South Alabama will return to action Friday when it takes on No. 2 seed Florida International at 3 p.m. in day three of the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
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 tied former Jaguar I.B. Stacy for fourth on the career RBI list (178) … Harris tossed his team-leading fourth complete game of the season … Kirkland recorded his 22nd multiple-hit game of the season, which ranks second on the team … Overstreet recorded his 16th multi-hit and 10th multi-RBI game of the season … USA improved to 7-6 all-time against ULL in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, and earned their first win over the Ragin’ Cajuns in the tournament since 1997 … South Alabama improved to 27-6 all-time in first-round games in the SBC Tournament.
