Box score



MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team used a five-run fifth inning en route to a 9-7 series-opening win over Brown Friday at Stanky Field.

USA (6-3) faced a three-run deficit through the game's first four-and-a-half innings. Brown scored a run in the first and second innings, but the Jags answered with a pair of runs in the third to tie the game. But the Bears pushed three additional runs across in the next two innings before USA erupted for five.

Jaguar second baseman Matt Bolger led off the USA bottom of the fifth with a single to right field, and moved to third on a two-out single to right field by Cole Billingsley. Jared Barnes followed with a walk to load the bases. Daniel Martinez then delivered a two-run single that ricocheted off of Brown right-hander Dave St. Lawrence into shallow right field to score Bolger and Billingsley and cut the Brown lead to 5-4. Cole Gleason followed with an RBI single to left field to plate Barnes and tie the game 5-5. A hit by pitch from Brown reliever Chris Smith to Garrett DeGallier loaded the bases for Adam Ballew, who singled to right field to score Gleason and Martinez for a 7-5 Jaguar lead.

USA added two significant insurance runs one inning later. The Jags loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth on singles by Bud Collura and Barnes, and a walk by Billingsley. Martinez followed with a two-run single to center field to score Collura and Billingsley and extend the Jaguar lead to 9-5.

Brown scored the final runs of the game on a two-run single by Marc Sredojevic in the top of the ninth, and had the tying run on base but USA left-hander Shane McKinley recorded the final two outs of the game to earn his first career save.

Jaguar right-hander Mike Dolloff (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits with a pair of strikeouts and three walks in 3 1/3 relief innings to earn the win. St. Lawrence took the loss and allowed seven runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.

"I thought Dolloff did a really good job," head coach Mark Calvi said. "He was aggressive and kept us in that game. Dolloff, Cody Van Aken and McKinley were outstanding for us tonight, and we needed them to be every bit as good as they were to win this one tonight. I'm impressed with the way Brown came out and swung the bat and played defense with it being their first game of the year. It says a lot about their kids and the way they're coached. I was thoroughly impressed with their team."

Every Jaguar starter recorded at least one hit in the game, led by Martinez went 2-for-4 with a career-high four RBI, one run scored and a stolen base. Ballew finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Guthrie went 4-for-5 with a double, one home run, three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Bears at the plate.

Brown (0-1) jumped out to an early lead with a run in the first, followed by a run in the second inning.

The Bears loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first on a pair of walks and a single from Noah Shulman. Josh Huntley followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to left-center field for a 1-0 lead. Guthrie led off the top of the second with a solo homer to left field to double the Brown lead to 2-0.

But the Jags answered to tie the game in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs. Drew LaBounty reached on a leadoff single to shortstop, and later scored on a wild pitch from St. Lawrence. Collura, who singled behind LaBounty, tied the game one batter later when he scored on an RBI groundout to first by Billingsley.

Brown responded with a run in the top of the fourth  to take a 3-2 lead on an RBI single by Brian Ginsberg that scored Guthrie, who singled with one out earlier in the inning and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt.

The Bears pushed their lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth on a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line by Guthrie before USA took a lead it never relinquished in the bottom of the fifth.

"Daniel Martinez and Adam Ballew came through with some big hits when we need them tonight," Calvi said. "Their (Brown) pitcher did a good job of shutting us down early. I give him credit; we weren't getting good swings off of him. But we hung in there and kept battling. We haven't been very good with men in scoring position, but we were much better tonight. We need a couple more guys to get settled in and comfortable in their own skin in the box, but it was good to see tonight."

The series will continue with a doubleheader Saturday beginning 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).