JACKSONVILLE, Ala. | After Jacksonville State scored a pair of runs to tie the game in the eighth, South Alabama plated three of their own in the top of the ninth to win game one of their series with the Gamecocks 6-3 at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium on Friday night.
South Alabama (8-6), winners of three consecutive, used a pair of bunts and three hits to pull out the road win.
The two teams were locked in a scoreless tie until back-to-back hits in the sixth led to an RBI groundout that gave the Jags a lead (1-0) that they would not relinquish until the bottom of the eighth. They added another run in the seventh to give starter
Jeremy Lee some cushion with three innings left. The sophomore right hander worked 6.0 innings and scattered five hits with nine strikeouts before giving way to
Matthew DeLano to start the seventh.
Danny Diaz came in to face two batters in the eighth before giving way to
Grant Wood (3-0) who pitched the final 2.0 innings for the win.
Will Turner led the Jags at the plate, finishing the night 2-for-3 and added a walk in the eighth.
How It Happened
- (T6) JG Bell delivered an RBI groundout to score Joseph Sullivan after a lead-off double to plate the first run of the game, South Alabama 1-0.
- (T7) Hunter Donaldson delivered an RBI triple down the right field line to score Austin Thrasher who was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning, South Alabama 2-0.
- (B7) Jacksonville State got on the board with an RBI single by Bear Madliak off the leg of DeLano to trim the lead in half, South Alabama 2-1.
- (T8) Micah Morgan singled to right to score Turner after a lead-off walk, South Alabama 3-1.
- (B8) Javon Hernandez reached on an infield single that brought in Mason Maners on a throwing error before T.J. Reeves scored on a fielding error, 3-3.
- (T9) Turner lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Donaldson following a pair of bunts in the inning followed by Bell lining a ball to right center to score Orbeta. The Jags kept the inning going with a double through the right side by Robbie Petracci to score Sullivan, South Alabama 5-3.
Up Next
The two teams will meet again in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 pm at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium. The series was set to stretch over three days, but to impending weather on Sunday it was moved to a doubleheader.
Quotable, head coach Mark Calvi
Outstanding performance from Jeremy Lee …
"I thought it was outstanding, we got seven out of nine leadoff outs tonight which is where you start. It starts with getting your leadoff outs. We challenged him to match up this week, he was coming off a less than his best start. He was outstanding tonight and was matched up with a really good guy from Jacksonville State. It was a really good Division I pitching matchup. I thought Jeremy was outstanding."
Got up early and came back in the ninth for the win …
"We did everything the game required us to do aside from Jacksonville State tying it up. Hunter (Donaldson) with a big hit and run RBI, Micah (Morgan) getting in there for the first time with a big hit. Will (Turner), Sully and
JG Bell with big hits and RBI, and Robbie (Petracci) had a big night. We had multiple guys with RBIs, and those plays with JG having an in between hop thinking he might have had a play at second. And Micah is a good defensive player, and I think the turf monster may have gotten him on that play. You hate to see the errors, that is where the game starts and stops with pitching and defense. We just have to be a little better in that, but I am happy with the way our guys played."
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