Box score


TROY, Ala.  – Boone Shear delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead Troy to a 7-6 series-opening win over University of South Alabama baseball Thursday at Riddle-Pace Field.

Troy (25-28, 13-15) faced a one-run deficit heading into the bottom of the ninth. Tyler Hannah walked to lead off the inning, moved to third on a double by Tyler Vaughn and later scored to tie the game 6-6 on a sacrifice fly to left field by Logan Pierce. Shear followed with a single in the six-hole to score Vaughn.

South Alabama (20-32, 14-14 SBC) held a 6-5 lead after six-and-a-half innings when it scored two runs in the top of the seventh to erase a 5-4 deficit. Whitt Dorsey singled to center field to score Robby Campbell, who led off the inning with a single. Jordan Patterson followed with a single off the right field wall to score Nolan Earley, who also singled earlier in the frame, to give USA a 6-5 advantage.

Troy left-hander Nathan Hill (6-2) earned the win in three shutout innings in relief, allowing just two hits while striking out two and issuing a pair of walks.

Kyle Bartsch (1-3) took the loss in two innings in relief, allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Earley gave the Jags a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when he lifted the first pitch he saw from Troy starter Tyler Ray over the right field wall, but the Trojans answered when Jakob Nixon tied the game with a solo homer to right field in the bottom of the second.

Troy threatened in the bottom of the third when Chase Mathis led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice by Clay Holcomb. But Jaguar starter Phillip Byrd got both Hannah and Vaughn to pop up for the final two outs of the frame to escape the inning.

Graham Odom and Campbell led off the top of the fifth with consecutive singles, and Earley followed with a walk to load the bases. Dorsey followed and reached on an error by Pierce that scored Odom and gave the Jags a 2-1 lead. Campbell scored one batter later on an RBI groundout to second by Patterson to push the Jag lead to 3-1. Drew Cofield followed with a fielder’s choice that plated Earley and increased the USA lead to 4-1.

Troy cut the Jaguar lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out, two-run double by Hannah, and tied the game one batter later on an RBI single by Vaughn. The Trojans grabbed a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Nixon.

Earley went 3-for-4 with a home run, one RBI and three runs scored to lead the Jags at the plate. Odom finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, and Patterson went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Dorsey added a hit and two RBI.

Nixon went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead Troy.

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

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).