Box score

MOBILE, Ala. – The 28th-ranked University of South Alabama baseball team scored seven unanswered runs for a 12-7 series-clinching win over Arkansas State Saturday at Stanky Field.

USA extended its Sun Belt Conference winning streak to 14 games and extended its home winning streak to 12 with the victory, while clinching its fifth consecutive SBC series. Eight Jaguar starters hit safely in the game, led by Brendan Donovan who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Cole Billingsley finished 1-for-3 with three RBI, Drew LaBounty had one hit and two RBI and Jared Barnes homered, drove in two runs and scored three times.

"We got some big hits and got it done," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "We strung some really good at-bats together. Hunter Soleymani wasn't great, but he didn't break. And the bullpen came in behind him and did a really nice job. We need everybody to win that ballgame; it didn't look good early."

Arkansas State (13-17, 4-10 SBC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out, two-run home run to left field by Joe Schrimpf. 

South Alabama (24-8, 14-0 SBC) answered with a pair of runs to tie the game in the bottom of the second when Jared Barnes lifted a 2-2 pitch from ASU right-hander Adam Grantham over the left field wall for a two-run home run – his team-leading sixth of the season – to knot the score at 2-2. 

USA took a one-run lead in the bottom of the third. Danny Martinez led off the inning with a walk, and Carter Perkins followed with single through the right side of the infield. A balk by Grantham moved both runners into scoring position with no outs. Brendan Donovan drew a walk to load the bases for Barnes, who grounded into a 6-4-3 double play that allowed Martinez to score to give the Jaguars a 3-2 lead.

ASU responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to take a one-run lead. Rucker drew a leadoff walk, later reached third on a wild pitch and scored when Barnes' throw to third sailed into left field. A two-out RBI single by Daltan Lovell later in the inning gave the Red Wolves a 4-3 lead. Tanner Ring followed with a two-run double to the left-center gap to double the ASU lead to 6-3.

The Jags answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut their deficit to one run. Adam Wolfe reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the inning, and Travis Swaggerty followed with a walk. A sacrifice bunt by Cole Billingsley moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Drew LaBounty then delivered a two-run single into right-center field to score Wolfe and Swaggerty and cut the ASU lead to 6-5. 

ASU pushed its lead back to two runs in the top of the fifth on a one-out RBI single by Jeremy Brown for a 7-5 advantage.

The Jags answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth when Ben Gann doubled down the right field line, and scored on a two-out RBI single back up the middle by Wolfe to cut the ASU lead to 7-6.

USA took a one-run lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. Barnes drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gann. Wolfe followed with a walk before a wild pitch from ASU left-hander Tony Ortiz advanced both runners into scoring position with one out. A walk by Swaggerty loaded the bases for Billingsley, who delivered a two-run single back up the middle to extend his hitting streak to 15 games and give the Jags an 8-7 lead.

South Alabama pushed across the game's final run in the bottom of the eighth. Donovan singled back up the middle with one out, and moved to second on a wild pitch. Barnes drew a walk, and Donovan advanced to third on the play on a second wild pitch from ASU right-hander Zachary Patterson to put runners at the corners with one out. A balk by Patterson moved Barnes to second and plated Donovan for a 9-7 USA lead. A two-run single with one out by Swaggerty later in the inning extended the Jaguar advantage to 11-7. Billingsley drove in the game's final run with an RBI sacrifice bunt on a squeeze play one batter later.

USA will go for the series sweep in Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m. at Stanky Field.

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).