Box score

BOCA RATON, Fla.  – Florida Atlantic added an insurance run in the eighth inning and held on to knock off University of South Alabama baseball 7-5 Friday at FAU Baseball Stadium.

FAU (21-10, 9-1 SBC) scored six of its seven runs with two outs, and was led by Mark Nelson who finished 2-for-5 with three RBI. Mike Albaladejo finished 2-for-3 with a home run, one RBI and three runs scored, and Geoff Jimenez added a homer, two RBI and two runs scored.

Ryan Garton (6-2) earned the win in 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts. R.J. Alvarez pitched two shutout innings, and struck out five while issuing one walk to earn his fifth save of the season.

USA left-hander Phillip Byrd (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season in six innings pitched, allowing six runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and five walks.

Nolan Earley, Brent Mitchell and Nick Zaharion each homered in the game for the Jags, and Mitchell finished with two RBI.

FAU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-out, two-run homer by Jimenez.

The Owls increased their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Corey Keller. FAU loaded the bases later in the frame, but Byrd induced an inning-ending groundout to third base off the bat of Ricky Santiago to end the threat.

Mitchell put the Jags on the board in the top of the fourth with a solo homer to left field to cut the FAU lead to 3-1. But the Owls answered in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out solo homer by Albaladejo to give FAU a 4-1 lead.

Earley led off the top of the sixth inning with a solo shot to left-center field, his third homer of the season, to cut the FAU lead to 4-2.

But the Owls answered again in the bottom-half of the sixth on a bases-loaded two-run single by Nelson to take a 6-2 lead.

USA (11-19, 6-4 SBC) rallied in the seventh inning when Zaharion led off the frame with a solo homer over the left field wall to cut the FAU lead to 6-3. The Jags loaded the bases later in the inning on a walk by Brad Hook, pinch-hit single by Harold Collins and hit by pitch to Taylor Nichols. Drew Cofield then delivered a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to center field to score Hook and cut the FAU lead to 6-4. Earley reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases for the second time in the inning, and Mitchell followed with a hit by pitch to cut the FAU lead to 6-5. Jordan Patterson then reached on a fielder’s choice to first base in which the Owls got the lead out at home, and FAU reliever Ahmed Garcia got Whitt Dorsey to ground out to third to end the threat.

Nelson added the game’s final run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single to right field.

The series will continue Saturday with game two scheduled for a 3 p.m. (CT) first pitch.

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).