MOBILE, Ala. - South Alabama stayed one step ahead all game, either leading or tied at the end of each inning, winning 8-6.

Lucas Ismaili scored the two tying runs in the opening frame on a triple, and Micah Morgan layed down a bunt that scored Ismaili.

The Jags used the third inning to practice their small ball, scoring both runners off bunts to retake the lead. Ethan Melton retook the lead with another run in the fourth after the bases were loaded.

Brennan Holt hit Will Turner home for the difference-making run in the sixth, then Ethan Melton hit a triple to send Holt home for the insurance run.

The bullpen worked hard to hold off the USM bats, with all six pitchers throwing at least one strikeout. Mitchell Heer came in relief for Leif Moore and worked the Jags through the first five innings. John Gillis was credited with the win alongside his second appearance of the week. Logan Wash and Gant Starling then tag-teamed to handle things heading into the ninth, with Grant Wood striking out the final batter to secure the win.

Winning Pitcher: John Gillis (1-0)
Save: Grant Wood (6)
Losing Pitcher: JB Middleton (1-1)

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi

On the pitching today: Bullpen was really good. I thought Mitch(ell Heer) coming in, was aggressive. Gillis gave us some good work and I thought Wash was phenomenal. Every out was a leverage out. Honestly from the first out of the game, all 27 outs were leverage outs. So you can't say 'well, Wash came in at a crucial point in the game'. Every out was crucial, especially with  the wind blowing out at 20 miles an hour. But we hadn't gotten McIntyre out all weekend that I can remember. Maybe we got him out once he might have popped the ball up, but Wash struck out the best hitter in the league. Hands down. Bar none. No one's better than that kid right now. Or at least this weekend. So striking out McIntyre was huge and then, again, Starling to Wood. I thought our bullpen was absolutely phenomenal today. Yes Leif, the start wasn't great, his velo was down. We gotta get that right. He competed, and our guys picked him up in a big way.

On playing small ball today: It's a product of us hitting .240. That's what it is and leaving guys out there, leaving runners in scoring position for the last month. Teams change, I wouldn't have done this a month ago. But until some guys heat up, you know, and I trust that we're going to start driving in runs, we're going to have to take advantage of every scoring opportunity that we have, and we did. We left a couple of guys out there today but not as many as we have in the past. But again, credit our guys for A. working out the skill of bunting, because if you don't work at it, you can't do it. We work at it and every single one of them; it doesn't matter who it is, one through nine, if we need to put a bunt down until we get this offense rolling we're going to put a bunt down. We're going to do what we need to do to move runners along and win games because that's ultimately the goal to win games. It's not about anyone's stats, it's about us winning games and that's what I felt was what we needed to do today.
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