Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of South Alabama baseball team homered three times in a 13-6 win series-opening win over No. 10 Arkansas Friday at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Ethan Wilson hit two home runs and tied his career high with five RBIs, and Michael Sandle homered once and drove in two runs. Jaguar right-hander Drake Nightengale (1-0) allowed four runs on six hits with nine strikeouts and six walks in six innings pitched to earn his first win of the season, and Jase Dalton recorded his second save of the year with three relief innings.

 GAME FACTS
- South Alabama took a three-run lead in the top of the first inning. Reid Powers drew a two-out walk before Michael Sandle lifted an 0-2 pitch from Arkansas left-hander Patrick Wicklander over the right field wall for a 2-0 Jaguar lead. Dakota Dailey then drew a walk, stole second and scored on an RBI single to right field by Andrew Bates for a 3-0 advantage.
- The Razorbacks answered in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI single to left field by Braydon Webb to cut the Jag lead to 3-1. UA later loaded the bases with two outs following a walk by Casey Martin, but Jag right-hander Drake Nightengale induced an inning-ending flyout to left field off the bat of Casey Opitz to preserve a two-run USA lead.
- USA responded in the top of the second with a pair of runs. Kaleb DeLaTorre drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hunter Stokes and scored when Ethan Wilson blasted a two-run home run over the scoreboard in right-center field on the first pitch he saw from Wicklander for a 5-1 Jaguar lead.
- Arkansas cut the Jag lead to two runs in the bottom of the third. A one-out RBI double down the left field line by Martin cut the USA advantage to 5-2. Opitz followed with an RBI groundout to first to score Webb, who reached on a walk, to cut the Jag lead to 5-3.
- South Alabama answered with three runs in the top of the fourth. Stokes and Santi Montiel drew consecutive two-out walks before Wilson lifted a 2-0 pitch from UA right-handed reliever Kevin Kopps over the right-center field wall for a three-run home run, his second of the game, for an 8-3 Jaguar advantage.
- Dailey led off the top of the fifth inning with a walk, advanced to second on a groundout to second by Bates and scored on a one-out RBI double down the left field line by Alden Davis for a 9-3 USA lead. Davis later advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI bunt single up the third base line by DeLaTorre for a 10-3 USA advantage. 
- UA cut the Jag lead to 10-4 in the bottom of the fifth on a leadoff solo home run by Matt Goodheart.
- USA loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth on a one-out walk by Powers, single to center field by Sandle and Dailey reached on a fielding error by UA first baseman Zach Gregory. Bates followed with an RBI single to right field to plate Powers for an 11-4 Jaguar lead. Davis then reached on an RBI fielder's choice on a grounder to second that score Sandle to push the USA lead to 12-4.
- The Razorbacks loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh on consecutive singles by Goodheart and Webb, and a walk by Martin. Opitz followed with a sacrifice fly to left-center field to plate Goodheart and cut the USA lead to 12-5. But Jaguar right-hander Jase Dalton recorded back-to-back strikeouts to escape the jam with a seven-run USA advantage.
- Sandle doubled to the left-center gap with one out in the top of the eighth, and scored one batter later on an RBI single to right field by Dailey for a 13-5 Jaguar lead.
- Arkansas loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth on a single by Heston Kjerstad, and consecutive walks by Goodheart and Webb. But Dalton induced an inning-ending flyout to center field off the bat of Martin to end the threat.
- Arkansas added the game's final run in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly to center field by Gregory.

NOTES
- Wilson's two home runs marked the first multi-home run game by a Jag since Wells Davis and Wilson hit two home runs each on May 11, 2019, at Appalachian State. 
- Wilson broke a 12-game homerless streak with his two-run home run in the top of the second inning.
-  Nightengale (1-0) allowed four runs on six hits with nine strikeouts and six walks in six innings pitched to earn his first win of the season.
- Sandle recorded a season-high three hits, finishing 3-for-5 with a double, one home run, two RBIs and three runs scored.
- Wilson tied his career high in RBIs, going 2-for-6 with two home runs, five RBIs and two runs scored.
- Dalton tossed three innings, and allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks to record his second save of the season. 
- The win marked the Jaguars' third straight victory at Baum-Walker Stadium dating back to 2014.
 
QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the offense:
"Guys are working hard, and they haven't had a lot to show for it offensively. No one has let their guard down, and they show up every single day. You knew sooner or later that things were going to turn for them. We have had some guys who have lined out, and the worst thing they can do is look at their numbers. That's what I have been preaching to them – don't look at your numbers. The numbers tell the story but not the whole story, and I'm not looking at them. We believe in these guys, especially the returners, in this program. They're working hard and getting their opportunities. It was great to see some guys swing the bats well today. We need a few more, but it's starting to come. The biggest thing with these guys is they show up every single day; they don't take a day off, and they haven't felt sorry for themselves. And if they do we warn them of it – I am looking for it. But it's good to have some returners who have been around the block and had some success, and you just know at some point they're going to come out of it. We had some great at-bats in there. That lefty (Patrick Wicklander) was touching 94 (mph), and he has been really good. We laid off some pitches, and had a game plan of if it (pitch) started inside or outside of the middle then we were taking it. We drew some walks, and Mike (Sandle) with the big swing and Ethan (Wilson) got into a couple. It's good to have a couple of RBIs with one swing of the bat; we've been missing that a little bit. But we've been missing getting the guys on (base) before that. We just put it together today. I was super proud of them. They were confident and it wasn't too big for them; we play a lot of these guys (SEC programs). But a lot of these returners have been in this environment, so it wasn't too big for anybody and I knew it wouldn't be. We'll enjoy this one, and then tomorrow is a new day; we'll get it over it and move on, because this is an outstanding Arkansas team."

- On Drake Nightengale and Jase Dalton:
"I am so proud of both of those kids. You could get frustrated with the strike zone – not saying it was good or bad, it could just be a little frustrating. The Drake from last year gets frustrated and starts trying to throw harder. He figured out a way to make his stuff work, and he knows he has a very good defense behind him. He has a very good catcher; (Reid) Powers blocks everything. In watching Drake in the way he behaved out there, I was really proud of him. He has really turned the corner, and just emotionally he keeps it in check. He looked like a professional out there today. And Jase Dalton just continues to amaze me coming off of Tommy John (surgery). He worked into a tough situation in the seventh (inning), and he just kept throwing strikes and didn't get phased. I was just proud of both of those guys for their poise and composure. All of the pitchers this year have shown a lot of poise and composure, and our team did as a whole today and we executed."

NEXT UP
South Alabama will return to action Sat., March 7, when it faces No. 10 Arkansas at 2 p.m. in Fayetteville, Ark.

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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