Box Score
Photo Gallery

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The top-seeded University of South Alabama baseball team scored six unanswered runs to defeat No.4W seed Little Rock 6-2 Thursday in the Sun Belt Conference Championship at Riverwalk Stadium.

Santi Montiel hit two home runs with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Jaguar offense. Eight Jaguar relief pitchers combined for eight scoreless innings and eight strikeouts against one walk. 

NEXT UP
South Alabama will face UT-Arlington in Saturday's semifinal round at noon at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala.

GAME FACTS
- Little Rock took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a one-out RBI double down the left field line by Miguel Soto. Tyler Williams followed with an RBI single to center field, and moved to second on an error by Michael Sandle in center field, to double the Trojan lead at 2-0.
- Andrew Bates drew a two-out walk in the top of the second inning, and advanced to second on a wild pitch from Little Rock right-hander Aaron Funk. Cam Tissue followed with an RBI single to center field to score Bates and cut the Trojan lead in half at 2-1.
- South Alabama tied the score 2-2 in the top of the third on a one-out solo home run to left field by Santi Montiel. Ethan Wilson followed with a double to right-center field, and advanced to third on a fielding error by Little Rock center fielder Tyler Williams. Michael Sandle reached on a fielder's choice on a grounder to shortstop to put runners at the corners with one out. Hunter Stokes followed with a walk to load the bases. Trojan right-hander Cole Evans got a flyout to left field by Kaleb DeLaTorre for the second out of the frame, and recorded an inning-ending strikeout of Bates to escape the jam.
- South Alabama took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a leadoff solo home run to left field by Montiel.
- Sandle led off the top of the eighth with a triple to the right-center field gap, and scored when Stokes reached on a fielding error by Trojan second baseman Jorden Hussein to double the Jag lead at 4-2. 
- USA loaded the bases in the top of the ninth on a leadoff single by Hunter Donaldson, intentional walk to Wilson and and hit by pitch to Sandle. Stokes then delivered a one-out RBI single through the right side of the infield for a 5-2 Jag lead. DeLaTorre followed with an RBI groundout to second to plate Wilson for a 6-2 lead. 

NOTES
- Sandle extended his on-base streak to 19 games with a leadoff triple in the top of the eighth inning. 
- The game marked Montiel's first career multiple-home run game.
- Stokes finished 2-for-4 with one RBI, and Tissue added one hit and one RBI. 
- Jaguar right-hander Noah Michael (1-1) allowed one hit and struck out one in one scoreless relief inning to earn his first win of the season. 

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the win:
"I am very proud of the team. It was as unconventional a game and win as I have been in. We put ourselves in position finishing first (in the division) and we won the first game (of the tournament), and this game meant nothing, which I have never been in one of those games so it was really strange. And our players knew that, so I give them all the credit in the world. We were unconventional on the mound today; we threw nine different guys. It wasn't the same energy as we had yesterday, but I give our guys credit just because they had a chance to play. And every game means something. I didn't need to say that to them today, because they know I say it all the time. Practices mean something. Everyone is watching; I'm always watching, little kids are watching – someone is always watching. It matters so you go hard. I am proud of our guys' effort and glad we won. I have so much respect for (Little Rock head coach) Chris Curry and his program and student-athletes. They swept us at their place. I knew they had nothing to play for, and I knew going to bed last night that it wasn't going to be easy and it wasn't. Their guys came out and played hard."

Shortstop Santi Montiel
- On his performance:
"I was just trying to have good at-bats. That first at-bat didn't go my way. The second one I put together a good at-bat and got into a 3-2 count and got a fastball up and was able to put a good swing on it. And the same thing with the other one (home run) – fastball up and in, and I was able to put a good swing on it."

- On the mental approach to the game:
"It is weird with the format. We knew we didn't have to really win this game after winning yesterday, but we knew we had to work hard and play all nine innings to get this win. We kind of wanted to get some revenge on them."

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.