Box score

TROY, Ala. – University of South Alabama baseball fell 6-5 to Troy in Thursday's series opener at Riddle-Pace Field.

Trojan right-hander Marc Skinner (4-1) earned the win in 2 2/3 relief innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits with four strikeouts. USA right-hander Cameron Carleton (0-2) took the loss in three relief innings, allowing two runs on five hits with a career-high four strikeouts against one walk.

Trevin Hall went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBI and a run scored to lead Troy at the plate. Bud Collura went 2-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored in his first game back in the Jag lineup since March 19. Cole Gleason finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Hayden Jones added two hits. Erik Hindmon had one hit and one RBI.

USA (21-30, 10-17 SBC) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Collura tripled to the left-center gap on the first pitch he saw from Troy starter Shane McCain, and scored one batter later on a one-out RBI single to left field by Gleason.

Troy answered in the bottom of the first when Clay Holcomb led off the inning with a double off the center field wall, and scored on a one-out double down the left field line by Garrett Pitts. Following a two-out walk from Jaguar starter James Traylor to Nick Masonia, Hall doubled to the left-center gap to score Pitts and Masonia and give the Trojans a 3-1 lead.

Hall then extended the Troy lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third on a two-out solo home run to left field.

USA answered to cut the Troy lead in half in the top of the fourth when Matt Wojciechowski doubled off the center field wall with one out, and scored on a two-out RBI single to center field by Hindmon.

The Jags then rallied to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning. Garrett DeGallier and Drew LaBounty reached on consecutive one-out singles, and Davis Knapp followed with a hit by pitch to load the bases for Collura, who singled to the left side of the infield to score DeGallier and cut the Troy lead to 4-3. South Alabama tied the game one batter later on a sacrifice fly to center field by Gleason that scored LaBounty from third.

Troy (23-29, 10-17 SBC) answered to take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run to left-center field by Masonia. The Trojans added their final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out RBI single to left field by David Hall.

USA added the game's final run in the top of the ninth inning. Knapp doubled down the left field line with one out, and moved to third on the play when Hall mishandled the ball in left field. Collura followed with an RBI groundout to shortstop to score Knapp.

The series will continue with game two Friday at 6 p.m. at Riddle-Pace 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).