Box score

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Adam Wolfe's two-out RBI single in the top of the 11th inning lifted the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 3-2 win to secure a three-game Sun Belt Conference sweep over Texas State Saturday at Bobcat Baseball Stadium.

Ben Gann singled through the six-hole with one out in the 11th, and Jalen Haskin followed with a single into center field. Wolfe drilled a 2-1 pitch from Bobcat right-hander Pasquale Mazzoccoli through the left side of the infield later in the inning to score Gann with the game-winning run.

South Alabama left-hander Shane McKinley (1-0) tossed three scoreless innings with two strikeouts and two walks to earn his first win of the season. Mazzoccoli (0-2) allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks in 3 1/3 innings in the loss. 

USA right-hander Hunter Soleymani allowed two runs on six hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 7 2/3 innings pitched without factoring in the decision. Bobcat left-hander Cory Geisler retired the first 12 batters he faced in the game, and did not surrender a hit until Travis Swaggerty reached on a two-out single to shortstop in the top of the sixth inning. Geisler allowed two runs on just three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in 7 2/3 innings, but also did not factor in the decision.

"Hunter Soleymani was really good," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "If he wasn't good then that game gets away from us because we did not come out and play the game, offensively, the right way behind him. He did a fantastic job keeping us within striking distance to win the ballgame later or at least tie it up; I am so proud of that guy and this team today. But Soleymani definitely set the tone."

Texas State (15-9, 6-3 SBC) pushed across the game's first runs on a two-out, two-run single to right field by Studdard.

South Alabama (18-6, 9-0 SBC) answered to tie the game with a pair of runs that came on two-out rally in the top of the eighth inning. Swaggerty reached on a two-out walk, and moved to second on a single to left field by Cole Billingsley. Jared Barnes followed with a two-run double to the left-center gap to score Swaggerty and Billingsley to knot the score at 2-2.

Texas State threatened when it loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 10th on a leadoff walk by Mickey Scott, a fielder's choice by Jonathan Ortega in which Scott beat the throw to second for the force out and a fielding error by Jaguar left-hander Shane McKinley on a sacrifice bunt by Luke Sherley. McKinley struck out Studdard for the first out of the inning, induced a flyout to right field off the bat of Tanner Hill for the second out and recorded the final out of the frame when Drew LaBounty fielded a grounder off the bat of Teddy Hoffman and threw to Jason Cryar at third base to end the threat.

Barnes went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate, and Wolfe added a hit and one RBI. Studdard finished 2-for-5 with two RBI to lead the Bobcats offensively.

"I told the guys on Thursday that I felt we became more of a close-knit team, because competition, close games and adversity bring that out in you; you get to see what you and your teammates are made of. I think this team, the players and coaches, saw what it is made of as whole. I was proud of that. We had to scratch, fight and claw today and on Thursday. I think we became a more tighter-knit team this weekend then when we were before we came here."

USA will return to action Wed., March 30, when it travels to Biloxi, Miss., for a 6:30 p.m. contest with Nicholls State at MGM Park.

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).