Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas – The University of South Alabama baseball team rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat UT Arlington 6-4 Saturday at Clay Gould Ballpark.

USA (9-9, 1-1 SBC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first before UTA (7-10, 1-1 SBC) took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a three-run home run by Connor Aube. But the Jags loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning, and scored on RBIs by Bennett Shell and Reid Powers and a Maverick fielding error to earn their first Sun Belt win of the season.

NEXT UP
South Alabama will return to action Sunday when it faces UT Arlington at 11 a.m. in the rubber match at Clay Gould Ballpark.

GAME FACTS
- Cameron Tissue and Michael Sandle drew consecutive walks to start the game, and both moved into scoring positon with no outs on a double steal. Caleb Balgaard drew a one-out walk to load the bases for Reid Powers, who laid down an RBI suicide squeeze bunt to score Tissue for a 1-0 Jaguar lead. Hunter Stokes followed with a walk to score Sandle and double the USA lead to 2-0. Santi Montiel then delivered an RBI groundout back to the pitcher to plate Balgaard for a 3-0 Jag advantage.
- UTA cut the USA lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI single to right field by Connor Aube.
- The Mavericks took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out, three-run home run to left field by Aube.
- USA loaded the bases in the top of the ninth on consecutive one-out singles from Tissue and Sandle, and a walk by Ethan Wilson. Bennett Shell then reached on an RBI fielder's choice on a grounder to second, which scored Tissue to tie the game 4-4. Wilson advanced to second safely after a throwing error on UTA second baseman Tommy Williams while attempting to record the putout at second. Reid Powers followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field to score Sandle for a 5-4 Jag lead. Hunter Stokes then reached on a fielding error by UTA first baseman Dylan Paul to allow Wilson to score the game's final run.

NOTES
- Ethan Wilson extended his on-base streak to eight games with a two-out double in the second inning.
- Sandle extended his on-base streak to five games with a walk in the top of the first inning, and extended his hitting streak to five games with a single to right field in the top of the ninth inning.
- Powers finished with a team-high two RBIs, while Shell, Stokes and Montiel added one RBI apiece.
- Wilson recorded a team-high three hits, finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles and one run scored. 
- Tissue recorded his first career stolen base, while Sandle added his seventh stolen base of the season.
- Jaguar right-handed reliever Miles Smith (1-0) tossed four scoreless innings in relief of starter Tyler Lehrmann, and struck out two and walked two while allowing two hits to earn his first win of the season.
- Jag left-hander Tyler Samaniego struck out the lone batter he faced in the game to record his third save of the year.

QUOTES    
Head Coach Mark Calvi 
- On runs in the first and ninth innings:
"We had good at-bats late in the ballgame. We took some walks, and took some walks early in the game as well. Reid (Powers) put a big squeeze down and had a sacrifice fly. (Cameron) Tissue led off the top of the ninth with a big base hit. And (Hunter) Stokes and Santi (Montiel) had big RBIs. We had good at-bats. We chased a little bit today, but when it counted we seemed a little calmer in the box and took some marginal pitches up and it paid off for us."

- On the pitching:
"Miles (Smith) has been phenomenal for us all year. We have the utmost amount of faith in him. (Tyler) Lehrmann battled for us again. He has walked too many guys in his last two starts, and we need to clean that up. He has to rely on his offspeed command for strikes and today he was off, but to his credit he went to plan B and threw a few more fastballs and curveballs and that's what kept him around. He bent but didn't break today. A lot of guys without feel for their number-one out pitch would have just folded up, but Lehrmann just gutted it out with what he had. We need to clean up his command a little bit and get that changeup back. He needs to be able to throw his offspeed with his eyes closed; that's when he is really doing good things for us. But Miles was phenomenal, and (Tyler) Samaniego has been as good as anybody in the country all year long out of the bullpen and he was great at the end (of the game)."

- On Sunday's rubber match:
"I always feel good with JoJo (Booker) on the mound. He's been around the block, and it's the same thing with him; we have to clean up the free passes. Usually there is some sort of wind blowing out of this park. JoJo has that good breaking ball he can throw, and that is the thing – it is commanded his fastball. He can throw his breaking ball basically when he wants to, so it is just minimizing free passes and hopefully our offense will heat up."

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.