Box Score (PDF)

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The University of South Alabama baseball team overcame a five-run deficit to defeat Southern Miss 15-6 Tuesday at Pete Taylor Park.

Southern Miss (17-9) plated five runs in the bottom of the first inning, but South Alabama (13-14) outscored the Golden Eagles 15-1 over the final seven innings to snap a five-game losing skid. USA will return to action Wednesday when it travels to Baton Rouge, La., for a 6 p.m. contest against No. 9 LSU.

GAME FACTS
- Southern Miss loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first inning on a leadoff single by Gabe Montenegro, and consecutive walks by Matthew Guidry and Hunter Slater. Bryant Bowen followed with a grand slam over the left field wall for a 4-0 Golden Eagle lead. A one-out RBI single by Danny Lynch extended the USM lead to 5-0 before a two-out walk by Montenegro loaded the bases for the second time in the inning. But Jaguar right-hander Joel Cheatwood induced an inning-ending groundout to second off the bat of Guidry to end the threat.
- The Jags responded with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Bennett Shell drew a leadoff walk to start the inning, and Ethan Wilson followed with a two-run home run over the right field wall on a 2-0 pitch from USM right-hander Cody Carroll to cut the USM lead to 5-2.
- USA cut the USM lead to 5-3 in the top of the fourth. Santi Montiel reached on a fielding error by USM third baseman Lynch with one out, and scored on a two-out RBI double to right-center field by Dakota Dailey.
- The Jags loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fifth. Wilson reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the inning, and Carter Perkins and Wells Davis drew consecutive one-out walks. Felix Aberouette followed with a two-run double down the left field line to score Wilson and Perkins and tie the game at 5-5.
- USM loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth on a leadoff single by Bowen, Matt Wallner reached on a fielding error by Dailey at second and Brant Blaylock reached on a throwing error by Jaguar right-hander Nick DeSantis on a sacrifice bunt up the third base line. But DeSantis struck out Erick Hoard for the first out of the frame, then induced a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play off the bat of Lynch to escape the jam and preserve a 5-5 tie.
- South Alabama took a one-run lead in the top of the sixth inning. Shell reached on a one-out walk, stole second and advanced to third on the play when Bowen's throw sailed into center field. Shell later scored on a wild pitch from USM left-hander Brooks Warren for a 6-5 Jaguar advantage.
- The Golden Eagles answered in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out RBI double to right-center field by Guidry to tie the game at 6-6.
- USA took a two-run lead in the top of the seventh. Montiel and DeLaTorre reached on consecutive one-out walks, and each moved into scoring position on a groundout to third by Dailey. Shell followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Montiel for a 7-6 lead. DeLaTorre also scored on the play on a throwing error by second baseman Guidry for an 8-6 Jaguar advantage.
- The Jaguars extended their lead to three runs in the top of the eighth. Wells Davis reached on a one-out double to right field, and scored on a two-out RBI double to right field by Montiel for a 9-6 advantage. DeLaTorre followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield to plate Montiel for a 10-6 lead. Dailey followed with an RBI single to left field that scored DeLaTorre for an 11-6 advantage. Dailey advanced to third on the play on a two-base fielding error by USM left fielder Montenegro. Shell followed with an RBI single to right field to score Dailey and extend the USA lead to 12-6.
- The Jaguars added the game's final run on a one-out RBI single to left field by Aberouette, and a bases-loaded, two-run single to right field by Dailey in the top of the ninth inning.

NOTES
- Wilson extended his hitting streak to four games with a one-out double to right-center field in the top of the first inning.
- Cheatwood tossed a career-high 3 2/3 scoreless innings, and allowed three hits with two strikeouts against two walks.
- Dailey recorded his first career RBI and extra-base hit as a Jaguar with a two-out RBI double in the top of the fourth inning.
- Davis extended his on-base streak to seven games with a one-out walk in the top of the fifth inning.
- Montiel extended his on-base streak to 12 games with a one-out walk in the top of the seventh inning.
- Kaleb DeLaTorre extended his on-base streak to five games with a one-out walk in the top of the seventh.
- Jaguar right-hander Zach Greene (1-0) tossed four scoreless relief innings, and allowed one hit with five strikeouts against one walk.
- Eight Jaguar starters hit safely in the game, with four recording multiple hits.
- Dailey recorded career highs in hits and RBIs, finishing 3-for-6 with one double, four RBIs and one run scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate.
- The game marked the 100th all-time meeting between South Alabama and Southern Miss.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the win:
"I am just super proud of our effort. The easy route would have been to say, 'Here we go again.' But our guys took the hard route, which they've taken all year long. The team has never quit. We're obviously not happy with where we are record-wise and things of that nature, but that's behind us. We need to be better in all three aspects moving forward, but I am just super proud of our guys' effort – just the fight and the desire to win. From top to bottom, everyone who went in there today fought like crazy and I'm extremely proud of my team's effort."

- On snapping a five-game losing skid:
"You're going to go through tough times in a regular season. We've been through our share early on, and some of those wounds are self-inflicted while others are just the game getting you; we haven't caught a lot of breaks. But our guys understand that if you keep working and putting yourself in position, the game will come back to you and that's what it did tonight. It didn't look good in the first inning, but (Joel) Cheatwood was outstanding. He settled things down, and in a game like that you need someone to come in and just settle it down and give you a chance. I told the team that we had a lot of baseball left and we have some very capable guys. Dakota Dailey, who is coming off of hand surgery – we've had our share of that, guys who are starting to come around. It was just good to see our guys fight. A lot of guys had a hand in tonight's victory, and I'm just proud of the team."

NEXT UP
South Alabama will return to action Wednesday when it travels to Baton Rouge, La., for a 6 p.m. contest against No. 9 LSU.

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.