Box Score (PDF)

NEW ORLEANS – The University of South Alabama baseball team rallied for five runs in the top of the ninth inning, highlighted by a grand slam from Jared Barnes, to defeat New Orleans 9-6 Tuesday at Maestri Field.

USA (20-13) trailed 6-4 entering the final inning after UNO designated hitter Hezekiah Randolph hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that broke a 4-4 tie, in the bottom of the eighth.

Travis Swaggerty doubled to left-center with one out in the top of the ninth, and Eddie Paparella followed with a walk. Carter Perkins then delivered an RBI double down the left field line to score Swaggerty and cut the UNO lead to 6-5. Will Luft followed with an infield single to shortstop to load the bases with one out. Barnes then delivered a grand slam to left field on a 1-0 pitch from UNO right-hander Reeves Martin to cap a five-run Jaguar ninth inning. 

"It was just guys not willing to quit," USA head coach Mark Calvi said of the come-from-behind win. "They know they get 27 outs and the game's not over until it's over. Weird things happen in baseball, but when your kids keep playing hard then you make your own breaks. You don't want to be in that situation very often, but we've been in some tough situations; we've been in some dogfights and that's why you play a good schedule – situations like this don't really shock you. If you get punched in the mouth, you get back up off the mat and that's what our kids did.

"Jared Barnes' first three at-bats were strikeouts, and if he sits there and feels sorry for himself then that (grand slam) never happens. He is an older guy who understands that when you play the game the right way and do things the right way both on and off the field, the game and life come back around to you. That's what I preach to these guys, and they believe it and know it because they know it's true. Tonight, it was just refusing to stop competing and it worked out well for us."

UNO (19-15) broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second on one-out RBI double to right-center field by Hezekiah Randolph, following a single back up the middle by Owen Magee, for 1-0 advantage.

USA answered in the top of the third when Hunter Stokes lifted a 2-1 pitch from UNO right-hander Riley Hodge off the left field foul pole for a solo home run to lead off the inning and tie the game 1-1.

South Alabama broke the tie in the top of the sixth inning. Swaggerty drew a four-pitch leadoff walk, moved to second with no outs on a wild pitch from UNO right-hander Rafael Martinez and advanced to third with one out following a flyout to right field by Paparella. Perkins drew a one-out walk to put runners at the corners. Luft followed with an RBI bunt single to first base to score Swaggerty for a 2-1 Jaguar lead. 

New Orleans responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a two-run lead. Tristan Clarke led off the inning with a single back up the middle, and scored one batter later on an RBI double down the right field line by John Cable to knot the score 2-2. Randolph followed with a two-run home run to left field to double the Privateer lead at 4-2.

USA loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh on a single by Brendan Donovan, fielder's choice on a grounder to second by Drew LaBounty, in which Donovan beat the throw to second, and a hit by pitch to Swaggerty. Paparella followed with a sacrifice fly to right-center field to score Donovan and cut the UNO lead to 4-3. Perkins then delivered a two-out RBI single to left field to plate LaBounty and tie the game 4-4.

Jaguar left-hander Zach Melton (2-1) allowed two runs on four hits with one strikeout in two relief innings to earn his second win of the season. Right-hander Matt Peacock tossed one perfect ninth inning and struck out all three batters he faced to earn his fourth save of the year. UNO right-hander Reeves Martin (2-3) allowed two runs on two hits with one strikeout in one-third of an inning in the loss.

Perkins went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Stokes added a home run, one RBI and one run scored, and Luft finished with two hits, one RBI and one run scored.

USA will return to action when it hosts Coastal Carolina in a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Stanky Field, beginning with game one Thu., April 13, at 6:30 p.m.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Dugout Club, the baseball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members enjoy all games from inside the Stadium Club with climate control, private restrooms, private concessions and access to listen to the radio broadcast. All donations to the Dugout Club go directly to support the South Alabama baseball program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/dugoutclub