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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team defeated Radford 6-5 Friday in the 2022 season opener at Stanky Field in the South Alabama Invitational presented by Hampton by Hilton Providence Park/Airport.

South Alabama (1-0) plated three runs in the first inning, and used five combined relief innings between right-handers Jeremy Lee and Jackson Boyd to defeat the Highlanders.

NEXT UP
South Alabama will return to action Saturday when it hosts Oral Roberts at 6:30 p.m. at Stanky Field in the South Alabama Invitational presented by Hampton by Hilton Providence Park/Airport. 

GAME FACTS
- Radford took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out RBI double to left field by Paul Moore.
- Santi Montiel singled to center field to lead off the bottom of the first, moved to second on a single to left by Erick Orbeta and later scored on a two-out wild pitch by Radford right-hander Brandon Feathers to tie the score 1-1. A walk by Charles Middleton and single through the right side by Joseph Sullivan put runners at the corners with two outs. Sullivan then stole second, and Middleton scored when the throw kicked off of second baseman Ty Dooley's glove for a 2-1 Jaguar lead. A wild pitch allowed Sullivan to score for a 3-1 advantage.
- Radford cut the USA lead to 3-2 in the top of the third when Cameron Pittman scored from second on an error by Montiel on a grounder off the bat of Bradlee Preap.
- Orbeta led off the bottom of the third with an infield single to second, and later scored on a one-out single through the left side of the infield by Charles Middleton on the 11th pitch of the at-bat to double the Jag lead at 4-2.
- Radford cut the USA lead to 3-2 in the top of the fourth on an RBI groundout to shortstop by Zack Whitacre. The Highlanders later tied the game 4-4 on a two-out wild pitch by Miles Smith to score Brendan Bagwell.
- South Alabama took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a one-out RBI single to left-center field by Middleton to score Orbeta, who led off the inning with a single.
- Radford tied the score 5-5 in the top of the sixth when Dudley Taw stole home. 
- Sullivan drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh, and scored on a double to right-center field by Simington for a 6-5 Jag lead.

NOTES
- Montiel extended his hitting streak to five games, dating back to last season, with a first-inning single to center field.
- Orbeta singled to left field in the bottom of the first in his first at-bat as a Jaguar.
- Sullivan singled through the right side of the infield in his first career collegiate at-bat. 
- Middleton recorded his first career hit at USA on an RBI single in the third inning, and Simington collected his first hit as a Jaguar with a single in the bottom of the first. 
- Turner recorded his first career hit with a one-out triple down the right field line in the bottom of the eighth.
- Orbeta finished with a game-high three hits, and went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
- Middleton added two hits, two RBIs and one run scored, and Simington finished with a pair of hits, including a double, and one RBI. Montiel recorded two hits and scored one run.
- Right-hander Jeremy Lee (1-0) allowed one run on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk in four relief innings to earn the win.
- Right-hander Jackson Boyd tossed one scoreless relief inning and struck out two to record his second career save.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the win:
"That is a tough team over there, and I knew they would be. My best friend, Karl Kuhn, is their head coach. They are tough as nails. They have 25 new players – they are going to be really good and tough to contend with. Miles (Smith) wasn't sharp and that's what happens. We walked four and hit three (batters), and had a couple of miscues defensively today. Radford just kept coming; they didn't go away after that first inning and I knew they wouldn't. We had some really good at-bats, we scored enough and played all 27 outs. We're fortunate to come up with a win tonight. We had some guys with some good at-bats, and we jumped them early and it held 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.