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MOBILE, Ala. – Right-hander Tyler Perez tossed a career-high five innings to lead the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 6-4 win over Alabama State Wednesday at Stanky Field.

Perez (1-0) allowed just one run on five hits and struck out a career-high two batters in five innings of relief work to earn his first career win. ASU southpaw Carlos Gonzales (0-1) allowed three runs on two hits with one walk in one inning pitched in the loss. 

"Tyler (Perez) came in and was fantastic," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "You had two freshmen (Perez and Andy Arguelles) go nine innings with just one walk against a pretty solid offense. It was down to the wire, and we needed Perez to be really good and he was."

USA (23-15) jumped out to a two-run lead in the bottom of the first. Dylan Hardy led off the inning with a double to left field, and moved to second when Drew LaBounty reached on a hit by pitch. A wild pitch allowed both runners to move into scoring position with no outs before Brendan Donovan reached on a fielder's choice. Hardy scored on the play on a throwing error by ASU third baseman Ray Hernandez for a 1-0 advantage. Travis Swaggerty then delivered a one-out RBI single to right-center field to plate LaBounty and double the Jaguar lead at 2-0. 

The Jags loaded the bases in the bottom of the second on a leadoff walk by Will Luft, and consecutive bunt singles by Wells Davis and Jared Barnes. Hunter Stokes followed with an RBI single to center field to score Luft for a 3-0 USA lead. LaBounty lifted a sacrifice fly to center field later in the inning to score Davis and push the Jaguar lead to 4-0.

Alabama State (18-20) loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fifth on three consecutive singles, and pushed across its first run on a bases-loaded walk by Edgardo Rivera. Joshua Dunson delivered a two-out, two-run single into shallow center field later in the inning to cut the Jaguar lead to 4-3. 

The Jaguars added their final runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth on a pair of one-out RBI singles by Jared Barnes and Hunter Stokes, while ASU scored the game's final run in the top of the ninth on a two-out RBI triple to right-center field by Cage Cox.

Swaggerty went 3-for-4 with one RBI to lead the Jaguars at the plate, while Rivera finished 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Hornets offensively.

USA will return to action this weekend with a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark.

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