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MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball fell to Tennessee Tech 11-7 Sunday in the South Alabama Invitational, presented by Hampton by Hilton Providence Park/Airport, at Stanky Field.

TTU (3-0) plated five runs in the top of the first inning before South Alabama (1-2) tied the score 6-6 in the bottom of the third. The Golden Eagles added three runs in the sixth and two in the ninth to secure the victory.

NEXT UP
South Alabama will return to action Tue., Feb. 22, when it faces Southern Miss at 6 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Miss.

GAME FACTS
- TTU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Ed Johnson led off the game with a solo home run to left field. Golston Gillespie doubled the TTU lead at 2-0 with a one-out double to right-center field. Hayden Gilliland followed with an RBI single to center field for a 3-0 advantage. The Golden Eagles pushed their lead to 4-0 when Will Long singled to shortstop and advanced to second on a throwing error by USA shortstop Santi Motiel, which allowed Gilliland to score from second. A sacrifice fly by Nick Spardone increased the lead to 5-0. 
- Erick Orbeta drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first, advanced to second on a balk and scored on a one-out single through the right side of the infield by Landon Jordan.
- TTU increased its lead to 6-1 in the top of the second on a leadoff solo home run to left field by Johnson. 
- USA cut the TTU lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the second when Miles Simington singled to left-center field, advanced to second on a fielding error by TTU center fielder John Dyer and scored on an RBI groundout to second by Will Turner.
- USA loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third on a walk by Charles Middleton, and consecutive singles by Hunter Stokes and Joseph Sullivan. Simington then delivered a three-run triple to the right-center field gap to cut the TTU lead to 6-5. Carter Sanford followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Simington and tie the score 6-6.
- The Golden Eagles loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, and took a 7-6 lead when Long scored on a wild pitch by Jag right-hander Collin Brougham. Hinchman reached on an error by Stokes on a grounder to first with two outs later in the inning to score Johnson and Spardone for a 9-6 TTU lead.
- TTU scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run single by Johnson for an 11-6 lead.
- USA pushed across the game's final run on an RBI fielder's choice of the bat of Simington. 

NOTES
- Stokes recorded a career-high four hits, finishing 4-for-5 with a double and one run scored. 
- Simington finished 2-for-4 with a triple, four RBIs and two runs scored.
- Jordan recorded one hit and one RBI. 
- Sanford and Turner drove in one run apiece.
- Collin Brougham allowed one unearned run without allowing a hit, and struck out one while issuing two walks in 1 1/3 relief innings in his season debut.
- Right-hander Eric Lin tossed 1 1/3 scoreless relief innings with one strikeout and one walk.
- Southpaw Eli Cophenhaver recorded one out against the one batter he faced in his collegiate debut.
- Right-hander Walker Johnson (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing two earned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts against four walks in 4 2/3 relief innings.
- TTU right-hander Brock Myers (2-0) earned the win with 4 2/3 scoreless relief innings, and struck out two with one walk.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the loss:
"JoJo (Booker) wasn't sharp today and didn't have his good velocity. But give Tennessee Tech credit; they hit some balls hard and came out swinging the bat. They executed offensively and put us in a hole. Our guys fought like crazy to get back in it, and I thought Walker Johnson did a really nice job of keeping us in it and giving us a chance to win. Tennessee Tech played better than we did today in the moments that required them to play better. We were a little more competitive in the box tonight. Eleven hits with seven runs should be good enough to win, but we need some more guys competing in the box and having better at-bats."

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