MOBILE, Ala. - South Alabama (5-5) took Jacksonville (4-5) into the seventh inning tied 1-1 before the Dolphins were able to break away for the win.

Starter Zach Stevens went 5.1 innings allowing only 4 hits and no earned runs on five strikeouts. In the second, the Jags loaded the bases and tied up the game with a sacrifice fly. 

Both starters went 5+ innings, with Jacksonville's Richard Long throwing 6.0 innings and holding the Jaguar offense to just five hits. 

JU opened up the game after reaching two on base in the seventh and scoring three with a double and bases-clearing single. A six-run eighth inning opened up a nine-run deficit that proved to be too much to rebound from, even with a two-run shot from Mason Zambo.

Win: Richard Long (2-1)
Loss: Andrew Elkhill (0-1)

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi

On tonight's game: I mean, it was a one, one game going into the seventh. We didn't do enough offensively tonight. Didn't handle the baseball well. We were right there till the end, going into the last third of the game, you know, we've got to start winning the last third of the game. That's been the difference in some of our games. The last third. We haven't done a good enough job. But all night, we didn't do enough, we didn't do a good enough job offensively.
We had plenty of guys on base, plenty of scoring opportunities against a solid pitcher, nothing to overpower you, just a solid college pitcher. We had our chances. We didn't maximize it and they did. They got the big hits. They made the pitches when they had to, and got the big hits. We didn't get it tonight. We didn't make the pitches, we didn't get the hits. We didn't make all the plays, and so they pulled away late.

On hitting into seven double plays in the last six games: You make your own luck, you know, we've hit into double plays. Some of the balls have been hit hard. If they're three feet-five feet to the left or right, it's a hit, but they're right at guys, some of them, it's just how it shakes out. You don't try not to hit into a double play. We're getting ready to hit and run (tonight) and on the next pitch, when we hit into a double play in like, the fifth or sixth inning, we're getting ready to hit and run on that guy. And we were just a pitch too late. That's on me. But we were 0-1 (count), if we could get to 1-1, you know, I was going to hit and run and get something moving, but we didn't get there. That's what happens when you're not playing well or things aren't going your way, you're a little too early, you're a little too late. This is a good group. We're better than this. We got some good arms that are down right now. We just got to fight. We got to keep our heads above water. We got to fight. This is only one game. We got plenty of baseball left this weekend, and we just got to go out there and fight tomorrow. Willingham is on the mound. We have a lot of faith in him. So we just got to go out there and be better on the mound and better in the box. 

UP NEXT
South Alabama continues the five game homestand with game two in the series against Jacksonville on Saturday, March 1, at 2 p.m.

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