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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 3 seed University of South Alabama baseball team used a six-run sixth inning to defeat No. 2 Southern Mississippi 7-5 Sunday in an elimination game in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional at Dick Howser Stadium.

USA (42-21) faced a four-run deficit heading into the bottom of the sixth. The Jaguars sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, and pushed six runs across to take a two-run lead. Drew LaBounty drew a leadoff walk, Martinez reached on a hit by pitch and Brendan Donovan followed with a single through the right side of the infield. Powers struck out Perkins for the first out of the frame, before Barnes drew a bases-loaded walk to plate LaBounty and cut the Golden Eagle lead to 4-1. Ben Gann delivered a two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Martinez and cut the Jaguar deficit in half at 4-2. Swaggerty followed with an RBI single to right field and cut the USM lead to 4-3. Cole Billingsley then delivered a two-run single through the right side of the infield to plate Donovan and Barnes for a 5-4 lead. LaBounty followed with a walk to load the bases for Martinez, who then drew a walk to score Swaggerty and extend the Jag lead to 6-4. 

South Alabama added its final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Perkins drew a leadoff walk, and was lifted for pinch-runner Dylan Hardy who then stole second with no outs. Barnes followed with a single through the left side of the infield to put runners at the corners. Hardy scored later in the inning on a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Bolger.

"Survive and advance – that's the name of the game in the postseason," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "That's what we did today. I am really proud of our guys' effort against a really good Southern Miss team that had its way with us the other day and was having its way with us at the start of this game. Ryne Long did a heck of a job. He showed a lot of leadership and poise. He was a warrior out there; he was a very good version of himself and he competed his tail off. I am very proud of this team and have been all year long."

Southern Miss (41-20) struck first in the top of the first inning on a one-out solo home run to right field by Jake Sandlin to take a one-run lead. The Golden Eagles then doubled their lead one inning later on a two-out RBI single up the middle by Nick Dawson in the top of the second.

Southern Miss added a run in the top of the third for a three-run advantage. Sandlin led off the inning with a walk, and moved to second on a single to right field by Tim Lynch. Daniel Keating delivered a one-out RBI single to left-center field later in the inning to extend the USM lead to 3-0.

South Alabama threatened in the bottom of the fourth, but failed to push across a run. Danny Martinez led off the inning with a walk, and moved to second on a single to center field by Brendan Donovan. A sacrifice bunt by Carter Perkins advanced both runners into scoring position with one out. But USM right-hander Hayden Roberts ended the threat with consecutive strikeouts of Jared Barnes and Matt Bolger to preserve a three-run Golden Eagle lead. 

Southern Miss added a run in the top of the fifth to take a four-run lead. Sandlin and Lynch reached on consecutive walks to start the inning. Chase Scott reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases with no outs, following a two-hour rain delay, before Keating delivered an RBI single to left field to score Sandlin and extend the USM lead to 4-0.

USA right-hander Ryne Long (4-0) tossed 4 2/3 relief innings, and allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts to earn his fourth win of the season. Left-hander Shane McKinley struck out one in two-thirds of an inning to record his ninth save of the year. Jake Winston (7-2) suffered the loss for USM, allowing two runs on three hits with one strikeout in one-third of an inning in the loss.

Donovan went 2-for-4 with one run scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Billingsley added on hit and two RBI, and Barnes and Gann finished with one hit, one RBI and one run scored apiece.

USA will face No. 1 seed Florida State in the championship round at 5:15 p.m. (CT) Sunday evening at Dick Howser Stadium.

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).