Box score

MOBILE, Ala. – Locke St. John and Ben Taylor combined for a four-hit shutout over Arkansas State to lead University of South Alabama baseball to a 5-0 win in Friday's series opener.

St. John (4-1) allowed just three hits and struck out a pair of batters in seven innings to earn his fourth win of the season. Taylor allowed one hit with four strikeouts and one walk in two innings to combine with St. John for just the second Jaguar shutout this season.

St. John allowed a leadoff single to ASU's Matt Burgess in the top of the second inning, but then settled in and didn't allow a hit until surrendering a one-out single to right-center field to Zach Maggio in the top of the sixth inning. The left-hander allowed a single to Zach Maggio on the final batter he faced in the game.

South Alabama (16-17, 6-6 SBC) gave St. John a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Consecutive singles from Cole Gleason and Cameron Cummings gave the Jaguars runners at the corners with two outs in the bottom of the first. Justin Cullifer followed with an RBI single to left field to score Gleason for a 1-0 USA lead. Matt Wojciechowski followed with a two-run single to center field to plate Cummings and Cullifer and push the Jag lead to 3-0.

USA extended its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the second when Hayden Jones reached on a two-base throwing error by ASU third baseman Lucas Feddersen. Cummings followed with an RBI single back up the middle to score Jones from second.

Wojciechowski led off the bottom of the third with a double to the right-center gap, and moved to third on a groundout to shortstop by Davis Knapp before scoring on an RBI single down the right field line by Drew LaBounty in what resulted in the final run of the game.

ASU right-hander David Owen (4-2) took the loss in 2 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts.

Four Jaguars recorded multiple hits in the game, led by Wojciechowski who went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Cummings and Cullifer finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and one run apiece, and Gleason added two hits and one run. LaBounty finished with one hit and one RBI.

South Alabama will look to clinch the series in game two, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday 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).