Box Score - USA vs IU
Box Score - USA vs Siena
Photo Gallery

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team split a pair of games in the South Alabama Invitational Saturday at Stanky Field.

South Alabama (3-5) fell to Indiana 4-2 before rebounding to defeat Siena 6-1 Saturday evening to snap a five-game losing skid. USA will return to action Sun., Feb. 23, when it hosts Siena at 3 p.m. at Stanky Field to close the South Alabama Invitational.

 
Indiana 4, South Alabama 2
GAME FACTS
- Indiana loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning on a leadoff walk by Drew Ashley, one-out single by Cole Barr and one-out walk by Elijah Dunham. Jordan Fucci followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield for a 1-0 Hoosier lead. Collins Hopkins doubled the IU lead to 2-0 with an RBI groundout to third. Dunham then scored on a wild pitch from Jaguar right-hander Miles Smith for a 3-0 Indiana advantage.
- The Hoosiers extended their lead to 4-0 in the top of the fifth inning on a one-out solo home run to right field Grant Richardson.
- South Alabama answered in the bottom of the seventh inning. Alden Davis pinch-hit and reached on a two-base throwing error by IU third baseman Barr, and scored one batter later on an RBI double down the right field line by Michael Sandle to cut the IU lead to 4-1. Ethan Wilson delivered a two-out RBI single to left field later in the inning to score Sandle to cut the IU lead in half at 4-2. 
- USA loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth when Preston Welchel reached on a fielding error by Barr at third, Santi Montiel reached on a hit by pitch and Alden Davis single through the right side. But IU right-hander Cal Krueger rolled a 1-2-3 inning-ending double play off the bat of Sandle to end the threat and preserve a two-run IU lead.

NOTES
- Smith (0-1) struck out a career-high eight batters, and issued two walks while allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings pitched in the loss.
- Indiana right-hander Gabe Bierman (1-1) struck out 11 batters against two walks, and allowed two unearned runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings pitched to earn the win. 
- Alden Davis recorded his first career hit, which came in the form of a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth.
- Wilson finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and one RBI to lead the Jags at the plate.
- USA struck out 14 times in the game, marking the seventh consecutive game it has struck out 10 or more times.

USA 6, Siena 1
GAME FACTS
- Siena scored the game's first run in the top of the first inning when Ryan McGee scored on a wild pitch from Booker for a 1-0 advantage.
- USA answered to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Ethan Wilson singled to left-center field with one out, advanced to second on a balk and scored one batter later on a one-out RBI single up the middle by Powers to tie the game 1-1.
- The Jags took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hunter Stokes led off the inning with a single up the middle, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored one batter later on an RBI single to center field by Bennett Shell. A two-out, two-run single by Powers later in the inning pushed the USA lead to 4-1.
- South Alabama extended its lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to center field by Santi Montiel that scored Shell, who doubled to lead off the inning.
- Reid Powers tripled to the right-center gap to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Sandle with the game's final run.

NOTES
- JoJo Booker (1-1) tied his career high with 10 strikeouts, and issued two walks while allowing one run on three hits in five innings pitched to earn his first win of the season.
- Jase Dalton tossed four perfect relief innings, and struck out a career-high six batters to record his first save of the season.
- Powers tied his career high in hits (3) and RBIs (3), going 3-for-4 with a triple, three RBIs and one run scored to lead the Jags at the plate.
- Shell added two hits, including a double, one RBI and two runs scored. Sandle finished with one hit and one RBI, and Montiel drove in one run.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the win:
"JoJo (Booker) was really good. I thought he set the tone. The first inning was just okay – we're going to have to adjust his warmups a little bit – but after that he was dominant. He had a really good slider and fastball with really good command. We need him to start extending them (starts). I thought he got a little tired in the sixth (inning); I would have loved to see him go six (innings). But Jase Dalton was really good. It's good to have him back off of Tommy John (surgery), and he was outstanding tonight. Their (Siena) lefty (Ben Seiler) was solid. He was 6-foot-8 and up to 88 (mph) with a pretty good breaking ball, and he had good downhill tilt. It took us a while to settle in, but we had some better at-bats up and down the lineup. We need to get better, and we will. There are some guys who are much better than they have shown. The numbers don't indicate it, but that will all shake out in the wash. They just need to keep playing hard and believing in themselves, and keep putting the time and work in because the prize at the end is worth it. We just need to keep working hard for that. I was proud of the way we responded after a tough loss today. It feels good to win again."

NEXT UP
South Alabama will return to action Sun., Feb. 23, when it hosts Siena at 3 p.m. at Stanky Field to close the South Alabama Invitational.

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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