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Box score

MOBILE, Ala. – Georgia Southern used a four-run third inning and 15 total hits to knock off No. 22 University of South Alabama baseball 11-9 in a series-clinching win Saturday at Stanky Field.

Eagle right-hander Ryan Frederick (1-1) allowed one run on one hit with three strikeouts and two walks in three relief innings to earn his first win of the season. Chris Brown allowed one hit and stsruck out one while issuing two walks in two-thirds of an inning to earn his fourth save of the year. Jaguar right-hander Hunter Soleymani (4-2) allowed five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk in 4 2/3 innings in the loss.

South Alabama (35-14, 18-5 SBC) loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning, but did not plate a run. Travis Swaggerty led off the inning with a double to left field, and advanced to third with one out on a passed ball. Drew LaBounty drew a walk and then stole second before Danny Martinez drew a walk to load the bases with one out. But Eagle right-hander Chase Cohen escaped the jam with a popup to shortstop off the bat of Carter Perkins and an inning-ending popup to second base by Brendan Donovan. 

Georgia Southern (29-18, 14-12 SBC) loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the third on a single to right field by CJ Ballard, double by Evan McDonald and a walk by Logan Baldwin. Ryan Cleveland followed with a grand slam home run to right field to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead.

South Alabama answered with three runs in the bottom of the third to cut its deficit to one run. Swaggerty drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a bunt single by Cole Billingsley. A walk by Martinez loaded the bases with one out. Perkins followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Swaggerty with the first Jaguar run of the game. A wild pitch allowed Billingsley and Martinez to both move into scoring position with two outs before Donovan delivered a two-out, two-run single back up the middle to cut the Eagle lead to 4-3.

The Eagles responded in the top of the fifth on a two-out RBI double off the right-center field wall by Cleveland to push their lead back to two runs.

Georgia Southern added to its lead one inning later. Cal Baker and Kent Rollins reached on consecutive singles to start the top of the sixth. A sacrifice bunt by Matt Anderson moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Ballard then reached on a fielding error on a dropped fly ball by Donovan in left field that allowed Baker to score and double the Eagle lead at 6-3. An RBI infield single to shortstop by Baldwin later in the inning allowed Rollins to score for a 7-3 Georgia Southern lead.

South Alabama cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the seventh on a pinch-hit two-out RBI single to right field by Dylan Hardy, and scored three runs one inning later when Danny Martinez lifted a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall for a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth.  

The Eagles added their final runs of the game in the top of the ninth on a two-run single by Baker and an RBI single by Matt Anderson. 

USA loaded the bases in the ninth and scored the final runs of the contest on a one-out RBI single to center field by Swaggerty and a bases-loaded walk by LaBounty.

Swaggerty went 2-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run scored, and Billingsley finished with two hits and one run scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Martinez added a home run, three RBI and one run, and Donovan finished with one hit and two RBI. Cleveland went 2-for-3 with a double, one home run, five RBI and two runs scored to lead the Eagles offensively.

"The guys that came in fought until the end," head coach Mark Calvi said. "We didn't do enough at the beginning of the game. We gave away some at-bats and had some tired swings, and that was the difference; they won the first six to seven innings and we didn't do enough offensively or on the mound and we were shoddy defensively. We didn't do the things we need to do to win a baseball game tonight."

The series will conclude with game three Sunday at 1 p.m.

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).