03/18/06–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAGS
KNOCK OFF NO. 14 TULANE, 8-4 BEHIND WALTERS' COMPLETE GAME
CONTACT:
Kevin Sytko
Box
Score
NEW ORLEANS - The University
of South Alabama baseball team bounced back after a tough 6-3 loss
Friday night by knocking off the No. 14 Tulane Green Wave 8-4 in
New Orleans at Zephyr Field Saturday afternoon. USA improves to
15-4, while the Green Wave drops to 13-8.
The Jags rode
ace P.J. Walters to their 15th win of the season. Walters improves
to 5-1 on the season, picking up his first complete game. Walters
fanned seven Tulane batters to put him into third place on the USA
all-time career strikeout list. David Freese picked up two hits,
two doubles and drove in four runs. South Alabama will be back in
action Sunday afternoon as they play the final game of a three game
series with the Green Wave at Stanky Field.
Like Friday,
the Jags opened the scoring first, with two runs in the second inning.
Jeff Cunningham ripped a double into the left center field gap and
Guillermo Martinez then dropped a singled over the Tulane second
baseman Brad Emaus, scoring Cunningham to give the Jags a 1-0. After
a David Doss single up the middle put runners on the corners, Joel
Collins picked up an RBI fielder's choice, plating Martinez and
giving Jag starter P.J. Walters a two-run lead.
USA scored two
more runs in the top of the third. Jones beat out a bunt to open
the inning. Patrick Weaver then dropped a bunt single of his own
to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Freese brought in
both Jaguars when he ripped a double down the left field line, giving
the Jags a 4-0 lead.
South Alabama
added thee more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Collins singled
down the right field line and Jeff Morris followed with a double
of his own down the left field line. Jones then doubled off of the
glove of right fielder Warren McFadden to bring in Colins. Freese
then pushed the lead to seven when he ripped his second two-RBI
double of the game down the left field line.
Tulane answered
in the bottom half of the fourth with two runs. Seth Henry opened
the inning with a single to left field. Emaus then grounded to Martinez,
who mishandled the grounder, putting two on with nobody out. Nathan
Southard then singled to load the bases. Mark Hamilton ripped an
RBI single to right to get Tulane on the board. Cat Everett also
picked up an RBI single to cut the Jag lead to 7-2. Walters then
got consecutive fly outs from Matt Riser and Anthony Scelfo to end
the inning, only allowing two runs.
South Alabama
pushed across its eighth run of the game in the seventh with the
help of a Green Wave two-out walk. Martinez walked and then stole
second. The Jag short stop came around to score when Doss picked
up his second double of the game, this one into the right center
field gap.
Tulane added run in the bottom of the ninth after Southard, who
had singled to left, came in on a Nate Simon single. Tulane scored
one more on a throwing error to David Freese, but Walters got a
final ground out to end the game and preserve the win
The Jags dominated
with a great pitching performance by Walters and 12 hits from the
offensive led the way for USA. Brandon Gomes took the loss for Tulane
dropping to 2-3.
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