Box Score

LAFAYETTE, La. – Louisiana's Kyle DeBarge delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift Louisiana to a 5-4 series-opening win over the University of South Alabama baseball team Friday at Russo Park.

DeBarge singled through the right side of the infield on a 1-1 pitch from Jaguar right-handed reliever Grant Wood to score Max Marusak from second with the game-winning run. 

UP NEXT
South Alabama (15-5, 3-1 SBC) will return to action Saturday when it faces Louisiana (10-11, 1-3 SBC) at 2 p.m. at Russo Park.

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield by Hunter Stokes that scored Miles Simington, who reached on a two-out single through the right side of the infield.
- Max Marusak led off the bottom of the first with a walk, stole second, stole third with one out and scored on an RBI groundout to first by Kyle DeBarge to tie the score 1-1.
- UL took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first when Heath Hood doubled to right field with two outs, and scored on a throwing error by Tissue on a grounder to third off the bat of Julian Brock.
- The Cajuns took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI triple to right-center field by Will Veillon.
- Stokes led off the top of the fourth with a walk, and moved to second when Hunter Donaldson reached on a hit by pitch. A wild pitch allowed both runners to move into scoring position with one out. Diego Altamirano later delivered a two-out, two-run single to right field to tie the score 3-3. 
- Heath Hood led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk. A single to left field by Brock put runners at the corners with no outs. Bobby Lada reached on a fielder's choice on a grounder to third, but Tissue caught Hood in a rundown attempting to score and recorded the putout for the first out of the inning. Jaguar right-hander Miles Smith struck out Marusak for the second out of the frame, and escaped the inning when Will Turner made a diving catch in center field on a line drive off the bat of Tyler Robertson.
- The Cajuns put two runners in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the sixth when Hood reached on a fielding error by Santi Montiel at shortstop, and Brock followed with a double to left field. Smith struck out Lada for the second out of the frame, and ended the threat with an inning-ending strikeout of Marusak.
- Montiel doubled to left field to lead off the top of the eighth, but UL right-handed reliever Bo Bonds recorded three consecutive strikeouts to end the inning.
- UL put runners at the corners with no outs in the bottom of the eighth on a leadoff walk by Veillon and single to center field by Connor Kimple. Smith struck out Hood for the first out of the inning, and struck out Brock for the second out of the frame. Smith then struck out pinch-hitter Mason Zambo to end the inning.
- Marusak led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to left field, and advanced to third with one out following a sacrifice bunt by Robertson. But Jaguar right-hander Jackson Boyd escaped the inning with a 1-5 double play when DeBarge popped up a bunt that Boyd caught and fired to Tissue at third to put out Marusak.
- South Alabama took a 4-3 lead in the top of the 11th when Tissue lifted a 3-2 pitch from Bonds over the left field wall.
- Louisiana tied the score 4-4 in the bottom of the 11th on a one-out single through the left side by Marusak. DeBarge delivered the game-winning hit later in the inning. 

NOTES
- Simington extended his on-base streak to 18 games with a two-out single through the right side of the infield in the top of the first.
- Middleton extended his on-base streak to 10 games when he reached on a hit by pitch in the top of the first, and extended his hitting streak to nine games with a one-out infield single.
- Altamirano extended his on-base streak to nine games with a two-run single to right field in the top of the fourth. 
- Tissue's home run in the 11th inning marked the first of his Jag career.
- Smith allowed two earned runs on seven hits, and struck out a career-high 12 batters against three walks in a career-high eight innings pitched without factoring in the decision.
- Eight Jaguars hit safely in the game, led by Orbeta who went 2-for-6. Tissue added a home run, one RBI and one run scored, Altamirano finished with one hit and two RBIs and Stokes added a hit and an RBI.

Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the loss:
"Miles (Smith) is just a bulldog. Nothing he does on the field surprises me at all. He was outstanding tonight. Our whole team was really good. That was a great college baseball game, it's just unfortunate that we came up on the short end of it and to lose it that way. Our guys are tough and know that tomorrow has nothing to do with today, but right now it stings. Our kids are tough and worked like crazy to put themselves in position, it just didn't go our way tonight."

- On the offense:
"We knew (UL reliever Bo Bonds) he was really good. That kid will pitch in the big leagues one day. Bonds will move fast through a professional organization, no question about it. It's not just 92 to 94 (mph), he has elite spin rate to his fastball. Our guys face plenty of 92 to 94s and square it up, but his is just a different 92 to 94 and touching 95. He has the really good curveball and a good changeup, but the fastball is that elite spin rate that kind of stays at the top of the zone. He was up and down and threw enough strikes with really good velocity. That kid will pitch in the big leagues one day."

- On game two of the series:
"Our pitching and this team has been really good. When you lose with a group that gives everything it's got, it stinks but you move on because I wouldn't want to pick any other group to win with. You just know this team gives everything it has day in and day out, so you just pack up your stuff and come back the next day and compete like crazy. These guys are hurting, but I told them to let it sink in and go over some things in your head. But tonight has absolutely nothing to do with tomorrow, and I would have said that had we won. The result tonight has absolutely nothing to do with tomorrow if you don't want it to. I fully anticipate our guys coming out. Tomorrow is a new day, and we'll be ready to compete like crazy."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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