Box Score

TROY, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team scored nine unanswered runs to defeat Troy 11-3 in Thursday's series opener at Riddle-Pace Field.

USA (21-11, 8-5 SBC) trailed 3-2 after six innings before posting five runs in the top of the seventh to take a 7-3 lead. The Jags then added four runs in the ninth to secure the win, which marked the fourth straight win over Troy.

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Friday when it closes the series at Troy with a split doubleheader. Game two of the series will begin at 2:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, followed by the series finale at 7 p.m. from Riddle-Pace Field. 

GAME FACTS
- Troy took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a one-out RBI single to left-center field by Kyle Mock.
- Will Turner led off the top of the fourth with a walk, and advanced to third on a double to left-center field by Hunter Stokes. Santi Montiel followed with an RBI double to left field to plate Turner and tie the score 1-1. 
- Stokes singled to lead off the top of the sixth, moved to second on a groundout by Montiel, advanced to third on a groundout to first by Joseph Sullivan and scored on a balk by Troy left-hander Ryan Pettys for a 2-1 lead.
- Troy tied the score 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out RBI double down the right field line by Mock. Easton Kirk followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield for a 3-2 Trojan lead.
- Erick Orbeta reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the seventh, moved to second on a single through the right side of the infield by Landon Jordan and scored on a one-out RBI single through the right side of the infield by Miles Simington to tie the score 3-3. Turner followed with a three-run home run to right field to double the Jag lead at 6-3. Stokes stole second before an RBI single to left-center field by Montiel pushed the USA lead to 7-3.
- USA loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth on three consecutive singles by Turner, Stokes and Montiel. Joseph Sullivan then reached on an RBI fielder's choice on a grounder to second to plate Turner for an 8-3 USA advantage. An RBI fielder's choice on a bunt back to the pitcher on a safety squeeze by Cameron Tissue scored Stokes for a 9-3 lead. Diego Altamirano then reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases with one out before Orbeta drew an RBI walk to score Sullivan for a 10-3 lead. Jordan followed with an RBI walk to score Tissue for an 11-3 lead.

NOTES
- Orbeta extended his on-base streak to 17 games with a walk in the ninth inning.
- Turner extended his on-base streak to 19 games with a leadoff walk in the top of the fourth. 
- Altamirano extended his on-base streak to 19 games with a leadoff walk in the top of the third. 
- Jordan extended his hitting streak to seven games with a one-out double to right field in the top of the first.
- Stokes tied his career high in hits, finishing 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored. Montiel went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs.
- Right-hander Matt Boswell allowed one run one three hits with one strikeout and a pair of walks in 4 1/3 innings, but did not factor in the decision.
- Miles Smith (5-1) allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts in 4 2/3 relief innings to earn his fifth win of the season. 
- Turner finished 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored.

Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the win:
"Not only was Boz (Matt Boswell) at the Urgent Care 48 hours ago, but he was coming off throwing right at 100 pitches last week. And because of the series starting on Thursday, he had a day less of rest. I can't say enough about what that kid did for five innings. He's a bulldog. And Miles (Smith) as well; he skipped some time, and he was a bulldog as well. We went up 2-1 and then they (Troy) came back and answered to go up 3-2. We went into the seventh inning and our guys were like, 'Hey, we got this.' Our guys fought like crazy. This is a really tough team. We've had four or five guys go to the Urgent Care center while we've been here. But to our guys' credit they toughed through it, and hopefully we have a couple of guys coming out of it. I can't praise my guys enough for their effort tonight – on the mound, on the field. Just knowing what they've been through the last 72 hours with the bug that is going around. You have to praise that effort.

"They (Troy) are 15-3 at home and have a really good ballclub. They threw a really tough lefty at us. He was up to 91 and we knew he was good. He is an outstanding athlete who has three solid pitches for strikes. We had seven guys with RBIs up and down the lineup tonight. Our guys just fought like crazy. We had some really good at-bats. We had some scoring opportunities early that we didn't quite cash in on, but (Rigsby) Mosley had his hand in some of that. He's a fifth-year guy who was outstanding on the mound tonight. Our guys worked like crazy. I was just most impressed with when we went down how calm and competitive these guys were. This team has an edge about it that it needs to be the best version of themselves. When we don't have that edge, we're not as good as we should be. When this team plays with that edge, the sky's the limit no doubt about it."

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).

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.