Game 1 of DH Box score - (Game 2 of 3 in series)
Game 2 of DH Box score - (Series finale)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team captured its fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference series with a 10-3 win over Appalachian State in game three of the series Saturday at Stanky Field.

Appalachian State (11-26, 4-14 SBC) took game one of Saturday's doubleheader in extra innings to even the series. South Alabama (24-13, 11-7 SBC) responded with a five-run first inning in the series finale en route to a 10-3 series-clinching win.


Game 1 – Appalachian State 6,  South Alabama 5  (10 inn.)
Appalachian State left fielder Brandon Burris' one-out RBI single to center field in the top of the 10th inning helped the Mountaineers even the series with a 6-5 win in game one of the doubleheader.

ASU broke a scoreless tie with a four-run fifth inning. A leadoff double to left field by Matt Brill, followed by a single to center field from Carson Jones put runners at the corners with no outs. Chandler Seagle then doubled to right-center field to plate Brill for a 1-0 Mountaineer lead. Brian Bauk then delivered a two-run double down the right-field line to score Jones and Seagle for a 3-0 ASU advantage. Michael Pierson followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to score Bauk for a 4-0 Mountaineer lead.

The Jags answered in the bottom-half of the fifth inning to tie the game. USA loaded the bases in the inning and pushed four runs across on a sacrifice fly to left field from Bud Collura, an RBI single to left field by Matt Bolger, an RBI groundout to second from Danny Martinez and a two-out RBI double to right-field line by Cole Gleason to tie the game 4-4.

ASU pushed a run across in the top of the eighth inning on a two-out RBI double to left-center field by Brill, but USA rallied for a run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.

Garrett DeGallier reached on a hit by pitch from ASU southpaw Ryan Ross to lead off the bottom of the ninth, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Raspino. A wild pitch from Ross allowed DeGallier to move to third with one out. Jared Barnes later delivered a two-out RBI single back up the middle to score DeGallier and tie the game 5-5.

ASU right-hander Robert Whaley (1-1) earned the win with 1 1/3 innings in relief, and recorded one strikeout. Jag right-hander Ben Taylor (3-1) suffered the loss, allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts in 2 1/3 relief innings.

Billingsley went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two stolen bases, and Gleason added a double and an RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Noah Holmes went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored to lead the ASU offense.


 Game 2 – South Alabama 10, Appalachian State 3
ASU jumped out to a two-run lead in the top of the first inning of the series finale on a one-out, two-run double down the left-field line by Brill.

But the Jags answered in the bottom of the first when Billingsley led off the inning with a solo home run – his second of the season – to right field to cut the USA deficit to one run. Collura singled to right field then stole second later in the inning before scoring on a one-out RBI single to center field by Martinez to tie the game 2-2. Gleason followed with a single to right field to put runners at the corners with one out in the inning. Bolger then delivered an RBI single to right field to score Martinez for a 3-2 USA lead. DeGallier reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases for Knapp who lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Gleason for a 5-2 Jag lead. Bolger then scored on a passed ball to push the USA advantage to four runs.

USA manufactured a run in the bottom of the second when Collura reached on a one-out walk, stole second and third before scoring on a sacrifice fly to right-center field by Gleason for a 6-2 Jaguar lead.

ASU cut the USA lead in half in the top of the sixth on a two-out RBI single to left field by Jones, but the Jags pushed their lead back to four runs in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out RBI single to left-center field by Ben Gann. Collura followed with a two-run home run to right field – the first of his Jaguar career – to extend the USA lead to 9-3.

A two-out RBI single to right field by Martinez pushed the game's final run across in the bottom of the eighth.

Billingsley went 3-for-5 with a triple, a home run, one RBI and three runs scored to lead the Jaguar offense. Collura finished 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, three runs scored and three stolen bases. Martinez went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Brill finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI to lead ASU at the plate.

Jaguar left-hander Jared Gates (3-1) allowed three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings in the win, and struck out a pair of Mountaineer batters while issuing three walks. Travis Holden (0-3) allowed five runs on five hits with one walk in two-thirds of an inning in the loss.

South Alabama will return to action Tue., April 14 when it travels to Thibodaux, La., for a 6 p.m. contest at Nicholls State.

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).