Box score

TROY, Ala. – Troy used a six-run fifth inning en route to an 8-0 series-clinching win over No. 23 University of South Alabama baseball Saturday at Riddle-Pace Field.

The Trojans loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth before sending six runs across for an eight-run advantage. Peyton Fuller led off the inning with a single to right field, and Tripp Calhoun followed with an infield single to third. A wild pitch by Dolloff allowed both runners to move into scoring position with no outs. Steven Whitaker then drew a walk to load the bases for Sanders, who lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Fuller and push the Troy lead to 3-0. Friend followed with a walk to load the bases for the second time in the inning. A wild pitch by Jag right-hander Cody Van Aken scored Calhoun for a 4-0 lead. Denison followed with a three-run home run to left field to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead. TJ Binder reached on a hit by pitch, and Brandon Lockridge followed with an RBI triple off the center field wall to push the Troy lead to 8-0.

Troy scored the game's first runs in the bottom of the fourth. Matt Sanders drew a leadoff walk, and moved to third on a double by Justin Friend. Troy took a 1-0 lead, following a 35-minute lightning delay, on a wild pitch by Jaguar right-hander Mike Dolloff. Joey Denison followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Friend and double the Trojan lead at 2-0.

Troy right-hander Houston Mabray (5-3) tossed six shutout innings, and allowed three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in six innings pitched in the win. Jaguar right-hander Austin Bembnowski (6-3) allowed two runs on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in three innings pitched in the loss. 

Denison went 1-for-3 with a home run, four RBI and one run scored to lead the Trojans at the plate. Cole Billingsley, Danny Martinez and Brendan Donovan recorded the only Jaguar hits of the game.

"I am super proud of our team, and they know that," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "The season didn't come down to this game. One of our goals was to win a conference championship. We would love to win it outright. I'm no different than anyone else; you don't want to share a title with anybody. But I am super proud of the way these guys worked – the coaching staff and everyone involved with this program including our training staff and strength staff who put in all the time, effort and hard work that allowed these guys to get to where they are at along with the team's hard work and effort over a grueling 30-game Sun Belt Conference schedule. It's not easy to go 21-9 in any league. 

"I absolutely do not feel good about today. There is nothing about today that I really liked, so we will let this one go. I am not ignoring it, but the sooner we get over it then the better off we will be. Right now we have to correct some mistakes we made this weekend, and then go to Texas and start a second season with the conference tournament. We have obtained our first goal of winning the regular-season conference championship, and our next goal is to win the conference tournament and ultimately get into a (NCAA) regional. Our goals are ahead of us and our guys know that. They have put in a lot of hard work, and the record shows that we played better than most teams in this conference over a 30-game schedule. I am proud of our guys. This doesn't feel real good, but for the way our kids have competed all year long at this point in the year I hold nothing against them unless it is lack of effort. I am proud of our team. I won't let this overshadow what we have done this year, and we will be ready to go in Texas."

USA will return to action when it opens play at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in San Marcos, Texas, on Wed., May 25.

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).