Box score
Photo Gallery
MOBILE, Ala. – Jarron Cito allowed two runs and struck out six in seven innings to lead the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 5-3 series-clinching win over Louisiana at Lafayette Sunday at Stanky Field.
Cito (5-3) scattered seven hits and did not issue a walk in earning his third consecutive win.
“Jarron (Cito) was great today,” USA head coach Mark Calvi said. “He did an outstanding job, and what’s most impressive about that is that he battled through four errors. He just went out there and made pitches, and kept us in it. That’s all you can ask for from any starter. You want to put some of your toughest guys (on the mound) on Friday and Sunday, and I’m glad we had him out there today. Cito put the guys on his shoulders and we came out with the win.
“It was a huge win for us, and we’re thrilled to be an outstanding opponent like Louisiana-Lafayette, especially with the pitching that they have. We had to swing the bats. Usually good pitching beats good hitting, but to our hitters’ credit we swung the bats well.”
Kyle Bartsch fanned four and issued one walk in 1 1/3 shutout innings in relief to earn his eighth save of the season.
South Alabama tied a season high with three double plays in the game – two inning-ending double plays in the second and fourth innings and the final and perhaps biggest twin killing of the game in the eighth.
Jarrett Bailey entered with a 5-2 lead in relief of Cito to start the eighth inning and after issuing a leadoff walk and a single, induced a 4-6-3 double play for the first two outs in the frame. The Ragin’ Cajuns then cut the USA lead to 5-3 on an RBI single by Chase Compton. But Bartsch came in and recorded a bases-loaded strikeout of Daniel Nichols to end the inning.
“Those were some huge double plays,” Calvi said. “That was the difference. It kills a rally. The double play is an absolute killer to the momentum offensively, so that was huge for us. Credit our defenders for fielding it and turning it over cleanly – it was big.”
South Alabama (16-24, 10-8 SBC) faced a 2-1 deficit entering the bottom of the fourth inning after the Cajuns plated a run in the third on an RBI single by Girouard and RBI double by Butler in the top of the fourth. The Jags answered with four runs in the bottom-half of the fourth to take a 5-2 lead.
After a one-out walk by Hunt Griffith and single by Robby Campbell, Colin Bray delivered a double to the right-center gap that scored Griffith to tie the game 2-2. Griffith was called out at home plate on the relay for the second out of the inning. Brent Mitchell followed with an RBI single to left field to score Bray and give the Jags a 3-2 lead. After a walk by Patterson, Whitt Dorsey singled to left field to score Mitchell and double the USA lead to 4-2. Following a Ragin’ Cajun pitching change and intentional walk to Nick Zaharion to load the bases, Dalken reached on a hit by pitch to score Patterson and give the Jags a 5-2 lead.
Louisiana-Lafayette (18-21, 7-11 SBC) added the game’s final run on Compton’s RBI single in the eighth inning.
South Alabama pushed across the game’s first run in the second inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field by Campbell.
The Jags loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, and pushed across the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly to center field by Campbell.
Dorsey went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead South Alabama at the plate. Griffith and Patterson added two hits and one run scored each, and Mitchell had one hit, an RBI and a run scored.
Butler went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI to lead Louisiana-Lafayette at the plate.
South Alabama will return to action Tuesday when it travels to Thibodaux, La., for a 6:30 p.m. contest with Nicholls State.
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: South Alabama improved to 56-35 all-time against Louisiana-Lafayette, and 27-11 all-time against the Cajuns at Stanky Field … Sunday’s series-clinching win marked the second straight series the Jags have taken from Louisiana-Lafayette at Stanky Field … Bartsch earned his eighth save of the season … Campbell extended his hitting streak to five games … Griffith recorded his second consecutive multiple-hit game … Cito earned his third win in as many starts.
