Box score


MONROE, La.  – University of South Alabama baseball set season highs for runs and hits in a 20-13 win over Louisiana-Monroe Friday at Warhawk Field.

South Alabama (7-14, 3-1 SBC) pounded out a season-high 23 hits while scoring 20 runs with five multiple-run innings.

Seven Jaguars recorded multiple hits, led by Graham Odom who went 5-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored. Nick Zaharion went 4-for-6 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored, and Dustin Dalken finished 4-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and four runs scored. Odom, Zaharion, Hunt Griffith, Brad Hook, Drew Cofield and Nolan Earley each drove in multiple runs.

Jaime Dennis (1-2) earned the win in 5 1/3 innings in relief, and allowed just one run on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

The Jags jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI double by Whitt Dorsey and two-run doubles by Zaharion and Griffith.

ULM scored two runs in the bottom of the first on a solo homer by Jeremy Sy to lead off the frame, and a bases-loaded walk by Taylor Abdalla to cut the Jaguar lead to 5-2. The Warhawks added a single run in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Caleb Clowers to cut the deficit to 5-3.

But USA answered in the top of the third on a two-run single by Odom to increase the USA lead to 7-3. ULM then scored two runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI triple by Chris Dudley and RBI single by Logan Fiasco.

The Jags increased their lead to 13-5 in the top of the fourth on a three-run homer by Hook, his first of the season, an RBI single by Earley,  an RBI groundout off the bat of Cofield and scored the final run in the inning on a ULM throwing error.

The Warhawks answered with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by two-run doubles by Clowers and Abdalla, a two-run single by Sy and RBI single by Corben Green to cut the USA lead to 13-12.

The Jags added two runs in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Griffith and an RBI single by Odom to take a 15-12 lead.

Fiasco led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to right field for the Warhawks final run of the game.

USA held a 15-13 lead heading into the ninth inning, but pushed five runs across in the frame for the game’s final runs.

“You had two good left-handers with pretty good numbers starting tonight, so the result of the game is the last thing I anticipated,” USA head coach Mark Calvi said. “But you just have to keep playing, make at-bats count and get outs when you can. You can’t come unraveled and lose your composure, and I was proud of our guys tonight for keeping their composure.

“We got hits when we needed them, and sometimes you have to win games like that. I have to give a lot of credit to our hitters. And Jaime Dennis came out of the bullpen and did a good job. Once he got settled in, he was good for us. He threw four straight shutout innings to finish it, and that was huge.”

Sy went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored to lead ULM at the plate.

Warhawk left-hander Randy Zeigler (2-4) suffered the loss in 2 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts and five walks.

The series will continue with game two at 6 p.m. Saturday evening.

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).