Box score

ATHENS, Ga. – Western Kentucky scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the University of South Alabama baseball team 11-10 Saturday in the Bulldog Invitational at Foley Field.

WKU (4-1) trailed by a run entering its last at-bat, but used its biggest inning of the game to hand the Jaguars their first loss of the season.

Western Kentucky tied the game 8-8 in the top of the ninth on a one-out RBI pinch-hit single from Hunter Wood that scored pinch-runner Marquis Webb, who entered after Kaleb Duckworth led off the inning with a single, and took a 9-8 lead on an RBI infield single to third by Steven DiPuglia. Thomas Peter delivered a two-run double to left field later in the inning to push across the final two Hilltopper runs of the game.

USA (5-1) rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth after loading the bases with two outs. Ben Gann led off the inning with a single to left field, and pinch-hitter Adam Wolfe followed with a walk. USA put the tying run on base after it loaded the bases on a two-out walk by pinch-hitter Eddie Paparella. Travis Swaggerty then reached on a fielding error by WKU right-hander Caleb Bruner that allowed Gann to score and cut the WKU lead to 11-9. Jared Barnes drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Wolfe to cut the Hilltopper lead to one run. But WKU right-hander Jackson Sowell came on in relief of Bruner and struck out Cole Billingsley to end the game.

Seven different Jaguars drove in runs in the contest, led by Danny Martinez who finished 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Jared Barnes added a home run – the first of his Jaguar career – two RBI and a run scored, while Billingsley went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and one run scored and Carter Perkins finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Matt Bolger added two hits, and Brendan Donovan, Swaggerty and Drew LaBounty drove in one run apiece.

Western Kentucky put the first run of the game on the board in the top of the second inning on a leadoff solo home run to left field by Kaleb Duckworth. 

USA responded with a run in the bottom-half of the second to tie the game. Martinez reached on a leadoff single to left field, extending his hitting streak to six games, and Gann followed with a walk. A balk by WKU starter Cody Coll moved both runners into scoring position with one out before an RBI groundout to shortstop by Donovan tied the game 1-1.

WKU answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third to re-take the lead. Steven Kraft led off the inning with a  single,  and Danny Hudzina reached on a one-out single before an RBI single to left field by Duckworth gave the Hilltoppers a one-run advantage. Paul Murray followed with an RBI groundout to second to score Hudzina for a 3-1 WKU lead. 

South Alabama responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to take its first lead of the game. Bolger reached on a leadoff single to third, and Swaggety followed with a walk. Bolger then advanced to third on a flyout to left-center field off the bat of Barnes to put runners at the corners with one out. Billingsley followed with an RBI double to right field to score Bolger and cut the Jaguar deficit to one run. Martinez then delivered a two-run double down the right-field line, which plated Swaggerty and Billingsley for a 4-3 USA lead.

WKU loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fourth when Ty Downing reached on a leadoff single to left field, DiPuglia reached on a throwing error to first by Jaguar starter Thomas Huston on a sacrifice bunt attempt, and Grant Malott reached base on a bunt single to second. Kraft then drew a walk from Jaguar right-hander Cody Van Aken to score Downing and tie the game 4-4. Peter followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to score DiPuglia for a 5-4 WKU advantage. A one-out single to center field by Hudzina loaded the bases again in the inning for the Hilltoppers, but Van Aken responded with a strikeout of Duckworth and an inning-ending fielder's choice off the bat of Murray to escape the jam without further damage.

South Alabama answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. Donovan drew a leadoff walk, and moved to third on a one-out single to right field by Bolger to put runners at the corners. Swaggerty then reached on a fielder's choice on a ball hit back to WKU right-hander Josh Barley that scored Donovan to tie the game 5-5.

The Jaguars pushed two runs across in the fifth inning for a two-run lead. Barnes led off the inning with a solo home run to left field for a 6-5 USA advantage. Martinez reached on a fielding error by Leiff Clarkson at second base with one out in the inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch and later scored on a two-out RBI single to left field by Carter Perkins for a 7-5 Jag lead.

WKU responded with a run in the top of the sixth on a one-out solo home run to left field by Kraft to cut its deficit to one run.

LaBounty and Swaggerty each reached on a walk from WKU right-hander Logan Weins in the bottom of the sixth. A balk by Weins moved both runners into scoring position with two outs. Billingsley then drew a walk on four straight pitches to load the bases for Martinez, but Hilltopper right-hander Sam Higgs induced an inning-ending groundout to shortstop to escape the jam.

Murray drew a leadoff walk from left-hander James Traylor in the top of the seventh, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chris Rogers. A single to second by Downing put runners at the corners with one out. An RBI bunt single by DiPuglia on a squeeze play tied the game at 7-7 one batter later.

USA answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh to take an 8-7 lead. Gann reached on a leadoff walk, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Perkins before scoring on a two-out RBI double down the left field line by LaBounty.

After a scoreless eighth, WKU rallied for four ninth-inning runs and held a three-run advantage entering the bottom-half of the ninth where the Jags plated the final two runs of the contest.

John Harman (1-0) allowed two unearned runs on one hit with a pair of strikeouts and one walk in two-thirds of an inning to earn the win for the Hilltoppers. Jackson Sowell recorded a strikeout for the final out of the game to earn his first save of the season. Mike Dolloff (0-1) allowed three runs on four hits with a strikeout and a walk in two-thirds of an inning in the loss.

"Our guys fought until the end, and had the winning run on base," head coach Mark Calvi said. "But it's what happened before that. We left too many men on base, we gave up too many hits and we made too many errors. That's what hurt us; that was our fate right there. They (Western Kentucky) got some bigger hits when it mattered, and we didn't. Neither team pitched very well, but they pitched a little bit better when they had to. We didn't get a hit when we needed to and they did. But we win and lose as a team, and we'll be ready to go tomorrow."

South Alabama will return to action Sunday when it squares off with Cincinnati at 10 a.m. (CT) on the final day of the Bulldog Invitational.

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).