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STATESBORO, Ga. – The third-seeded University of South Alabama baseball team defeated No. 7 Arkansas State 4-2 Saturday in the semifinal round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at J.I. Clements Stadium.

USA (38-19) clinched a spot in Sunday's SBC Championship game, scheduled for a noon (CT) first pitch, against the winner of Georgia Southern and Texas State. It marks the second time in three seasons the Jags have reached the conference tournament final.

Every Jaguar starter hit safely in the game, led by Carter Perkins who went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Travis Swaggerty and Will Luft added a double and one RBI apiece. 

USA right-hander Tyler Carr (7-1) allowed just one run on five hits with five strikeouts and four walks in six innings pitched to earn his fifth consecutive win. Matt Peacock tossed three scoreless relief innings and struck out four against one walk without allowing a hit to record his 10th save of the year and move into a tie for fourth place on the program's single-season record list. ASU right-hander Tanner Kirby (4-2) allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 1 2/3 innings in the loss.

South Alabama jumped out to a two-run lead in the top of the first inning. Colton Thomas doubled to left field with one out, and later scored on a two-out RBI double to center field by Swaggerty for a 1-0 lead. Wells Davis followed with an RBI single to center field to plate Swaggerty and double the Jaguar lead at 2-0.

Arkansas State (28-27) loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first on a double down the left line by Garrett Rucker, a single by Joe Schrimpf and a walk by Justin Felix. But Carr induced an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Alex Howard to escape the jam and preserve a two-run Jaguar lead.

The Jaguars threatened in the top of the second, but did not push across a run. Hunter Stokes singled back up the middle to lead off the inning, and Perkins followed with a walk. Thomas drew a two-out walk later in the inning, but ASU left-hander Brandon Stuckenschneider ended the threat with a flyout to center field off the bat of Brendan Donovan to keep the ASU deficit at two runs.

USA threatened in the top of the third, but did not produce a run. Davis drew a one-out walk, and advanced to second on a single to right field by Drew LaBounty. A wild pitch from Stuckenschneider allowed both runners to move into scoring position with one out. Stokes then drew a one-out walk to load the bases, but Stuckenschneider escaped the jam with a strikeout of Perkins and an inning-ending flyout to center field off the bat of Luft to keep the ASU deficit to two runs.

The Red Wolves answered with their first run of the game in the bottom of the third. Grant Hawkins led off the inning with a triple off the left-center field wall, and scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly to left field by Rucker to cut the Jaguar lead to 2-1. 

South Alabama pushed its lead to 3-1 in the top of the fifth on a one-out RBI single to right field by Perkins that scored LaBounty, who reached on an error earlier in the inning, from second base.

The Jags loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, but failed to push across a run. Thomas reached on a hit by pitch, then stole second with two outs before Swaggerty drew a walk. Davis reached on a two-out walk, but ASU right-hander Bryan Ayers entered in relief of Stuckenschneider and induced an inning-ending flyout to shallow left field off the bat of LaBounty to end the threat.

ASU responded with a run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double to left-center field by Rucker to cut the Jaguar lead to 3-2.

The Jaguars added the game's final run in the top of the ninth. LaBounty led off the inning with a single to center field, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Stokes. Luft followed with an RBI double to the right-center field gap to plate LaBounty and double the USA lead.

"We knew we were going to have our hands full with Arkansas State," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "Tommy (Raffo) and his guys do a fantastic job and they always seem to be playing their best baseball at the end of the year – that's the mark of a very good coaching staff and kids who are committed to the program. We knew we were going to have to get a great effort on the mound. We were a little bit sloppy early defensively, but I thought Tyler did a fantastic job pitching through some mistakes his teammates made – uncharacteristic mistakes defensively. We've done such a nice job defensively this year for our pitching staff. I thought Tyler had another gear today.

"I'm happy with the results. We were a little bit sloppy with some of the smaller things, we popped some bunts up and give Arkansas State credit they defended it, but we didn't do some of the little things right. But the game starts and stops on the mound, and if Tyler wasn't where he was at today we're not in here talking about the win. This is a team thing, but I really was pleased with the way Tyler went out there and competed and made his pitches with the wind blowing out, they're a good fast ball hitting team, and he kept them at bay until we kinda got into the game. I was a little concerned, I thought it was uncharacteristic in terms of executing, but Tyler settled some things down and we scored some runs and turned it over to Matt Peacock at the end and he did what he does, and that's be an older guy and go get some outs for us."

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