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MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama baseball scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 6-3 win over Tennessee Tech Saturday at Stanky Field.

South Alabama (1-1) trailed 3-1 through seven-and-a-half innings before it tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run double down the right field line by Erik Hindmon. Drew LaBounty followed with a go-ahead single to center field to score Logan Kirkland, who reached on a one-out walk, for a 4-3 Jaguar lead. Cameron Cummings, who entered earlier in the game as a pinch-hitter, then pushed the USA lead to 5-3 with an RBI single to right field to score Cole Jarman, who pinch-ran for Hindmon, from third. Bud Collura added the game's final run one batter later with a sacrifice fly to left field.

"(David) Hess did a good job for Tennessee Tech," head coach Mark Calvi said. "He had good life on his fastball, and we had some poor at-bats. Locke St. John wasn't very good today, but you still have to win and that's what he did today. He hung in there and gave us a chance. We were in position to rally late. Tripp Hobbs did a nice job coming in, and we were able to rally late and put some at-bats together."

Tripp Hobbs (1-0) earned the win with three relief innings, and allowed just one run on two hits while issuing four walks with a strikeout. Hunter Soleymani allowed one hit in one inning pitched to earn his first career save. Jaguar left-hander Locke St. John allowed only one earned run on four hits in five innings, but walked five batters with one strikeout without factoring in the decision.

Stanton Taylor (0-1) suffered the loss in one-third of an inning, allowing three runs onn three hits with one walk. TTU right-hander David Hess allowed just one run on five hits in six innings, and struck out eight while issuing one walk.

TTU loaded the bases off of St. John in the top of the second on a leadoff walk by Daniel Miles, and consecutive singles from Brandon Thomasson and Dylan Bosheers. Jake Rowland followed with a fielder's choice to second base to score Miles for the game's first run. St. John then induced a grounder to third off the bat of David Allen which Collura fielded and cut off Thomasson attempting to score from third for the second out of the inning. A walk to Jordan Pariss loaded the bases with two outs for TTU leadoff hitter Zach Zarzour who then grounded to LaBounty at shortstop for the final out of the frame.

Matt Wojciechowski reached on a TTU fielding error at second base to lead off the bottom of the third, then moved to third base on a single to center by Hayden Jones. But Hess induced a popup to shortstop and recorded consecutive strikeouts to escape the inning.

Bosheers led off the top of the fourth with a double to left-center field, reached third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice bunt from Parris to double the TTU lead to 2-0.

South Alabama pushed its first run across in the bottom of the sixth. Adam Ballew reached on a leadoff walk, and Cole Gleason followed with a double to the left-center gap. Jones followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Ballew and cut the TTU lead to 2-1.

The Golden Eagles pushed their lead to 3-1 in the top of the eighth on a two-out RBI single to center field by Zarzour before USA rallied for five runs in the bottom-half of the frame.

Eight different Jaguars recorded hits in the game, led by Collura who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cummings added two hits and one RBI, and Gleason finished with two hits. Thomasson and Bosheers had two hits apiece to lead the Golden Eagles.

The series will conclude with the rubber match Sunday at 1 p.m. at Stanky Field.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).