LAFAYETTE, La. - South Alabama (13-7, 1-2 SBC) dropped the rubber match to Louisiana (15-5, 2-1 SBC) on Sunday afternoon at M.L. Tigue Moore Field by a final score of 1-3.


PRIMARY THREADS

• Jaguar shortstop Marc Stephens grabbed his twelfth RBI of the season when he knocked in leadoff man Brennon Wright in the first. The Cajuns responded in the bottom half with a pair of runs, marking the second consecutive game both clubs got on the board in the first inning.
• The score would remain 2-1 Cajuns until the home half of the fifth when an RBI single plated another run.
• Right-hander Daniel Gonzalez kept the Ragin' Cajun bats to three earned across five strong innings.
• Southpaw Jaxon Shineflew entered in the sixth from the Jaguar bullpen and retired the Louisiana offense in 1-2-3 fashion in both the sixth and seventh innings before recording a third zero in the eighth to push his scoreless streak to 18.2 innings.

KEY STATS

• The Jaguars scored one run on four hits in the setback. Stewart Puckett led the sticks with hard contact in all four at-bats, with a double and a single on the day.
• Marc Stephens plated the lone run for the Jags with an RBI single in the first, in a 1-4 effort at the dish.
• Daniel Gonzalez (L, 0-1) took the loss with the following line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K while Cajun righty JR Tollett (W, 4-0) earned the win in the rubber match.
• Jaxon Shineflew was characteristically dominant in 3.0 innings of shutout, two-hit ball with just one walk and three strikeouts. Sunday's performance totaled 5.2 innings scoreless on the weekend.

QUOTABLE
HEAD COACH MARK CALVI
"I told the guys we competed all weekend, we just didn't get it done in the batters box today. I told them not to lose their confidence. We got some guys that are scuffling right now that were hot early. Give their pitchers credit, they did a good job. We've faced some good arms, but arms that we need to beat to make a run this year. Keep it in perspective, there's a long way to go and the worst thing you can do is lose confidence. You need to continue to work and show up, because this game wants you to quit. Hitting is the hardest thing to do in the world of sports, with or without confidence. My message was to not lose confidence. Keep showing up."


ON DECK
The Jaguars return home to face SEC foe Alabama in a midweek contest on Tuesday night, March 17. The game is scheduled to air on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m.


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