Box score

MOBILE, Ala. – No. 3 Arkansas State defeated No. 7 University of South Alabama baseball 4-3 Thursday in an elimination game of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Stanky Field.

ASU right-hander Bradley Wallace (4-5) allowed just one earned run on seven hits with six strikeouts and a pair of walks to earn the win. Morgan Croft tossed one inning and allowed one run on two hits to earn his eighth save of the season. Jaguar southpaw Locke St. John (6-3) suffered the loss in 7 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

Cole Gleason went 3-for-5 with one RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Garrett DeGallier finished 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored, and Bud Collura added two hits. Tanner Ring went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI to lead ASU offensively.

ASU (31-26) took a one-run lead in the top of the first inning. Zach Maggio reached on a leadoff walk in the top of the first, and moved to second on a throwing error by St. John on a failed pickoff attempt at first base. Ring followed with a one-out RBI single back up the middle of the infield to score Maggio for a 1-0 ASU lead.

USA (22-33) loaded the bases in the bottom of the first on three consecutive singles from DeGallier, Collura and Gleason. Erik Hindmon then reached on a fielder's choice that scored DeGallier and tied the game 1-1.

Davis Knapp reached on a leadoff single to right field in the bottom of the second, and Collura singled with one out. Gleason followed with a single to right field to load the bases, but Wallace escaped the jam with an inning-ending flyout to right field off the bat of Connor Hawthorne.

USA took its lone lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth. DeGallier reached on a two-base fielding error by ASU first baseman Matt Burgess to lead off the inning. Hawthorne delivered a two-out RBI single to right field later in the frame to score DeGallier and give the Jags a 2-1 lead.

ASU tied the game 2-2 with two outs in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Derek Birginske. Austin Baker followed with an RBI single to center field to give the Red Wolves a 3-2 lead and chase St. John from the game.

The Red Wolves added their final run in the top of the ninth. Stuart Levy reached on a one-out single to right field, and moved to second when Cameron Cummings mishandled the ball in the gap. A two-out RBI single to center field by Lucas Feddersen doubled the ASU lead to 4-2.

DeGallier doubled down the left field line with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and scored the game's final run on a two-out RBI single to right-center field by Gleason to cut the ASU lead to one run.

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).