Box score - Game 1 of DH
Box score - Game 2 of DH

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team swept a Sunday doubleheader at Stanky Field to secure a three-game series sweep over Little Rock to open Sun Belt Conference play.

USA (12-4, 3-0 SBC) clinched the series with a 7-5 victory in the first game of Sunday's twinbill, and locked up the sweep with a 10-6 win in the series finale.

"We're thrilled with the weekend, especially with the sweep," head coach Mark Calvi said. "Our guys fought hard and Little Rock fought hard, and we were fortunate enough to come out on top this weekend. We had guys fighting to get on and had some two-out and two-strike hits; there were some guys who fought through at-bats and found a way to get on base. I was proud of the way the guys handled two nine-inning ballgames. The first one was a tight game, and our guys came out and played really hard. We're fortunate and thankful to have won all three."

Game 1 – South Alabama 7,  Little Rock 5
South Alabama clinched the series in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader with a 7-5 win over the Trojans.

USA pushed across the game's first run in the top of the first inning. Travis Swaggerty led off the game with an infield single to first base, and then stole second with one out before Drew LaBounty drew a walk. A passed ball by Trojan catcher Cameron Knight moved both runners into scoring position, and Danny Martinez followed with an RBI groundout to first base to score Swaggerty with the game's first run.

The Jaguars doubled their lead an inning later. Matt Bolger drew a one-out walk, and moved to second on a two-out walk by Jalen Haskin. Swaggerty followed with a two-out RBI single to right field to score Bolger for a 2-0 USA advantage.

South Alabama then increased its lead to five runs in the top of the third. LaBounty led off the inning with a single, and Martinez followed with a walk. Ben Gann then delivered a three-run home run to left field – his second of the season – on a 2-2 pitch that chased Little Rock left-handed starter Will Hazen from the game and gave the Jaguars a 5-0 lead. 

USA threatened to add to its lead in the top of the fourth. Billingsley doubled to right field with two outs, and moved to third on an infield single to shortstop by LaBounty. Martinez drew a walk to load the bases for Jared Barnes, but Trojan left-hander Dylan Slayton induced an inning-ending flyout to right-center field to end the threat.

Little Rock answered with its first run of the contest in the bottom of the fourth. Nik Gifford led off the inning with a single, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch from USA starter Austin Bembnowski. Ty Gunter drew a walk then moved to second on a wild pitch. Zach Baker followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Gifford and cut the Trojan deficit to four runs.

The Trojans added three runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Jaguar lead to one run. Hunter Owens and Ryan Scott drew consecutive one-out walks from Bembnowski before Dalton Thomas delivered an RBI double to left-center field to score Owens. Gifford followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Scott and cut the Little Rock deficit to two runs. Gunter then singled back up the middle with two outs to plate Thomas and cut the Jaguar led to 5-4.

USA responded with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Barnes and Gann drew consecutive walks to start the top of the seventh. Bolger then reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases with no outs for pinch-hitter Carter Perkins, who reached on a fielder's choice to second base that allowed Barnes to score and push the Jaguar lead to 6-4. Swaggerty reached on a hit by pitch with two outs later in the inning before Billingsley drew a bases-loaded walk to score Gann and extend the USA lead to 7-4.

Little Rock answered with the game's final run in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Gunter.

Jaguar right-hander Ryne Long (2-0) allowed two hits and issued one walk in one relief inning to earn his second win of the season. Left-hander Shane McKinley struck out two and allowed one hit in two innings to earn his third save of the year. Hazen (1-2) allowed five runs on four hits with two strikeouts and four walks in 2 1/3 innings in the loss.

Swaggerty went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate. LaBounty finished with two hits and a run scored, and Gann added a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.

Game 2 – South Alabama 10,  Little Rock 6
South Alabama scored eight runs over its final three frames to secure a three-game series sweep of Little Rock. 

Left-hander James Traylor (2-0) allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in five relief innings to earn his second win of the season. Little Rock right-hander Keenan Wingfield (1-2) allowed two runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning in the loss. 

USA scored the game's first run in the top of the first. LaBounty reached on a two-out triple to center field, and scored one batter later on an RBI single to center field by Martinez for a 1-0 lead.

But Little Rock answered with three runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI single to center field by Ryan Scott that tied the game 1-1, and a two-run double to center field by Gifford to take a 3-1 lead. 

The Jags responded with a run in the top of the fourth on a two-out RBI double to left-center field by Brendan Donovan that scored Gann, who led off the inning with a double to right-center field, and cut the Little Rock lead to one run.

Little Rock doubled its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to right field by Thomas, and added its fifth run of the game later in the inning when Scott scored from third when Thomas was caught stealing at second. 

USA answered with three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. A one-out RBI single back up the middle by Billingsley scored Donovan, who reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the inning, and cut the Little Rock lead to 5-3. LaBounty followed with an infield single to second that scored Raspino, who reached on a walk earlier in the inning, to cut the Jaguar deficit to one run. USA then tied the game on a sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of Martinez to score Billingsley.

USA rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth to take the lead. Perkins reached on a leadoff single to first base, and was lifted for pinch-runner Dylan Hardy who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Barnes. Donovan reached on a fielding error by Gifford at first base which allowed Hardy to move to third to put runners at the corners with one out. Hardy then scored on a sacrifice bunt from Raspino for a 6-5 Jaguar lead. Adam Wolfe followed with a two-run home run – his team-leading third of the season – to left field for an 8-5 USA advantage.

Little Rock scored its final run of the game on a fielder's choice RBI to shortstop off the bat of Baker in the bottom of the eighth. South Alabama added its final runs of the contest on solo home runs to left field by Gann and Barnes in the top of the ninth.

Billingsley went 4-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run scored to lead the Jags at the plate. LaBounty added two hits, including a triple, one RBI and one run scored, and Gann finished with two hits – including a home run – one RBI and two runs scored. Wolfe added a home run, two RBI and one run scored. 

South Alabama will return to action Tue., March 15, when it travels to Hammond, La., for a 6 p.m. contest with Southeastern Louisiana.

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).