Box Score (PDF)

LAFAYETTE, La. – The University of South Alabama baseball team used a four-run fifth inning to defeat Louisiana 7-3 Saturday at Russo Park.

USA (8-7) broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with the game's first run, scored four runs in the fifth, and added a run in both the sixth and eighth innings to secure the win.

South Alabama will return to action Sunday when it faces Louisiana at 1 p.m. in the rubber match at Russo Park. 

GAME FACTS
- USA pushed across the game's first run in the top of the fourth inning. Brendan Donovan singled to center field with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a single to center field by Wells Davis to put runners at the corners with one out. Carter Perkins followed with an RBI sacrifice bunt to first that scored Donovan for a 1-0 lead.
- The Jags scored four runs in the top of the fifth for a five-run advantage. Michael Sandle led off the inning with a walk, and moved to second on a bunt single by Dylan Hardy. A bunt single up the first base line by Paul Russo loaded the bases with no outs. Donovan delivered a sacrifice fly to left field with one out to allow Sandle to score from third and double the Jaguar lead at 2-0. Wells Davis followed with a three-run home run to right field on a 2-2 pitch from UL right-hander Jack Burk to extend the USA lead to 5-0. 
- Louisiana loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth on a one-out walk by Monroe Moll, and a pair of two-out walks by Kole McKinnon and Zach LaFleur. Daniel Lahare then reached on a hit by pitch to score Moll and cut the USA lead to 5-1. Gavin Bourgeois followed with an RBI single to center field, and moved to second on a fielding error by Swaggerty which also allowed LaFleur to score and cut the Jaguar lead to 5-3.
-  Swaggerty doubled the Jaguar lead at 6-3 in the top of the sixth when he lacked the first pitch he saw from UL right-hander Dylan Moore over the right-center field wall for a solo home run, his fourth of the year.
- Hardy drew a one-out walk in the top of the eighth, stole second and scored on a one-out single to right field by Russo to push the USA lead to 7-3.
 
NOTES
- Jaguar pitchers combined to limit the Cajuns to just two hits, the fewest allowed in a game by USA this season.
- South Alabama right-hander Nick DeSantis (2-0) tossed 3 1/3 scoreless relief innings, and did not allow a hit while striking out two to earn his second win of the season.
- UL right-hander Jack Burk (1-3) allowed five runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 4 2/3 innings in the loss.
- Three Jaguars recorded multiple hits in the game, led by Russo who finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and one run scored. Davis went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and one run scored, and Donovan finished 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored.
- Jaguar relievers Austin Gossmann, DeSantis and Jared Proctor combined for 4 1/3 scoreless relief innings, and combined to allow just one hit with four strikeouts.
- USA snapped a six-game losing skid with the win. 

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the pitching:
"Zach Melton was really good early on until the fifth (inning). If you look at his batting average against, it is low and his wounds are self-inflicted. He was really good last weekend, and really good for four innings today. It certainly wasn't because he was tired or at the end of his start. We scored him some runs in the fourth, and went back out there and I don't know if he lost his concentration but that's something we need to fix moving forward. I was proud of his effort, we just need to keep him out for a little bit longer because he is certainly good enough. He could be a dominant starter for us; he's a notch away mentally, I think, from being a dominant guy for us. Overall, I have been proud of his work this year. I feel confident running him out there; the night before when I know he is starting, I feel good with it. (Nick) DeSantis was good, as well as (Jared) Proctor behind him. I thought we pitched extremely well the last two days."

- On the offense:
"When guys struggle, you have one of two things:  they either become too aggressive or too passive. I just wanted them to settle in and be in the middle, and that's a mindset thing. I thought guys did a really good job today of having an in-the-middle mindset, not too aggressive and not too passive, and back to having good at-bats. I thought we did a good job up and down the lineup, and hopefully that continues tomorrow. Offense will come and go and you'll always have a guy or two who's not feeling it; when you have five or six it makes it hard. You never know when it comes or goes, you just keep working like our guys have done and you work through it."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Sunday when it faces Louisiana at 1 p.m. in the rubber match at Russo Park.  

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).

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