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MOBILE, Ala. – Hunter Stokes delivered a one-out walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the University of South Alabama baseball team over Campbell 1-0 in the 2020 season opener Friday at Stanky Field.

After Campbell right-hander Cam Cowan recorded the leadoff out in the ninth, Stokes lifted an 0-1 pitch over the right field wall to secure the Jaguar win. Jaguar left-hander Tyler Lehrmann (1-0) tossed four scoreless relief innings, and struck out eight against three walks and allowed one hit to earn his first career win. He combined with Jaguar starter Drake Nightengale who struck out eight with a pair of walks in five scoreless innings pitched.

South Alabama will return to action Saturday when it hosts Campbell in a doublehleader beginning at 2 p.m. at Stanky Field.

 GAME FACTS
- Campbell right-hander Cam Cowan held the Jaguars hitless through 5 1/3 innings before Reid Powers broke up the no-hitter with a bunt single down the third-base line. 

NOTES
- Left-hander Tyler Lehrmann struck out the first batter he faced, the leadoff in the top of the sixth, in his Jaguar career.
- Stokes' home run was his first since May 25, 2018, against Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship game in Statesboro, Ga.
- Cowan (0-1) allowed one run on three hits with 15 strikeouts against one walk in 8 1/3 innings in the loss. 
- The Jags' 15 strikeouts offensively are the most since Auburn pitchers recorded 16 strikeouts on March 12, 2019.
- The shutout marked the first time South Alabama has shut out an opponent in a season opener since defeating Grambling 8-0 to open the 2006 season.
- Stokes' home run is the first time a Jaguar hit a walk-off home run since Wells Davis on May 20, 2017, against Troy. 

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the win:
"We schedule tough for a reason, and their (Campbell) guy (Cam Cowan) is as good as we'll see all year long, I hope. He was 92-95 (mph) with a slider and a really good splitfinger (fastball) in there. Our guys were close, but we just kept battling. We didn't have a lot to show for it. We scratched out a couple of hits and had some really good at-bats. But our pitchers matched up and we played really good defense. For two teams to pitch that way and play errorless ball in the season opener on a chilly night is phenomenal. And it's great to have Hunter Stokes back; we missed him badly last year. It's great to have him back healthy and see him doing his thing."

- On Drake Nightengale:
"I thought Drake was great. Last year he would have got caught up in the excitement and expended some energy in the wrong place, but he handled himself and showed the maturity of being in the program for the second year. He needs to pitch a little more calm, which he did, and (Tyler) Lehrmann needs to pitch a little more angry, which he did. Both of those guys put our team on their backs – that's why they call it a team."

Third Baseman Hunter Stokes
- On his walk-off home run:
"You always have to picture it before it happens. That's a dream come true – you dream of that stuff your whole life, and finally making it happen is unreal. It's good to be back. It was a fastball in, and I just knew it from contact. Their guy (Cowan) had good stuff; he was in-and-out with a good slurve and splitter, and he commanded his fastball. I kept telling our guys to just keep pushing – that we would eventually get to him. It took the bottom of the ninth, but we got it."

NEXT UP
South Alabama will return to action Saturday when it hosts Campbell in a doublehleader beginning at 2 p.m. at Stanky Field.

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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