Box score

AUBURN, Ala. – Right-hander Randy Bell tossed his second complete game of the season to lead the No. 23 University of South Alabama baseball team to an 8-5 win over Auburn Tuesday at Plainsman Park.

Bell (4-1) was perfect through four innings before issuing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth inning to Niko Buentello. Blake Logan followed with a single through the left side of the infield for the first Tiger hit of the contest. Bell then retired the next eight batters he faced before issuing a two-out walk to Logan in the bottom of the seventh inning. He tied a career high with seven strikeouts, and issued two walks while allowing five runs on four hits to earn his fourth win of the season.

"Randy has done a fantastic job all year long," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "He is a rotation guy in the middle of the week. We feel very fortunate to have such a quality person and pitcher like Randy to go out there and take the mound in midweek games. Randy was outstanding tonight. They (Auburn) put a charge into some balls early, but we played really good defense in the outfield and then he settled in. I give Auburn credit; they made us work for it in the ninth (inning) but we felt good with Randy on the mound and he was outstanding again."

South Alabama (31-11) jumped out to a two-run lead in the top of the first inning. Drew LaBounty drew a leadoff walk to start the game, and Cole Billingsley followed with a bunt single down the first base line. Matt Bolger delivered a two-out, two-run triple to left-center field later in the inning to score LaBounty and Billingsley for a 2-0 Jaguar lead. 

USA extended its lead to four runs in the top of the third. Jared Barnes led off the inning with a single to center field. Danny Martinez followed with a fielder's choice to shortstop, in which Barnes was put out at second, and moved to second on an infield single to shortstop by Bolger. Brendan Donovan singled to left field to load the bases with one out before a wild pitch allowed Martinez to score and extend the USA lead to 3-0. A passed ball two pitches later scored Bolger and pushed the USA lead to 4-0. 

The Jags added a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to extend their lead to six runs. Carter Perkins reached on a one-out single to right field in the top of the eighth, and LaBounty followed with a double off the left field wall. Billingsley followed with a two-run single back up the middle to score pinch-runner Jalen Haskin and LaBounty for a 6-0 Jaguar lead. 

South Alabama added the game's final runs in the top of the ninth. Bolger led off the inning with a walk, and scored one batter later on an RBI triple to right field by Donovan for a 7-0 USA advantage. Donovan scored the game's final run on a sacrifice fly to left field by Adam Wolfe.

Auburn (18-23) scored all five of its runs in the game on a wild pitch by Bell, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Logan and a three-run home run by Damon Haecker in the bottom of the ninth inning. 

Aurburn left-hander Andrew Mitchell (4-3) allowed four runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 2 1/3 innings in the loss. Bolger went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Billingsley finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run scored and two stolen bases, and Donovan went 2-for-4 with a triple, one RBI and one run scored. Perkins added two hits, including a double. Haecker finished 1-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and one run scored to lead Auburn offensively.

"I am happy with the result, but we had too many strikeouts and we left some men on base with one out," Calvi said. "These are things that we have done a nice job of for the most part, but I can't let that seep into our offense. It's too important for the outcome of the ballgame."

USA will return to action this weekend when it travels to Atlanta for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Georgia 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).