04/23/06–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAGS
SWEEP SECOND CONSECUTIVE SUN BELT SERIES WITH 20-10 WIN OVER MIDDLE
TENNESSEE
CONTACT:
Kevin Sytko
Box
Score
MOBILE,
Ala. - South Alabama received huge offensive performances
from Patrick Weaver, David Freese, Joel Collins and David Doss,
enroute to a 20-10 ten-run-rule shortened Sun Belt conference win
over Middle Tennessee, Sunday afternoon at Stanky Field.
Weaver, Freese
and Collins each had three hits, while Doss had four. With the win
USA sweeps the three-game series over the Blue Raiders and is now
29-15 on the season and 10-5 in the conference. The Jags have now
won six consecutive games over Middle Tennessee.
“It was
an outstanding weekend for the Jaguars,” said USA head coach
Steve Kittrell. “Unfortunately it was a great weekend for
Troy and Lafayette, so we didn’t gain any ground. Our guys
are on a mission to really finish the year strong. They are a confident
team and they believe in themselves.”
Doss picked
up the win on the mound improving his record to 2-1. South Alabama
has now won seven straight games for the first time since the 2003
season.
The Jags got
on the board in the bottom of the first. Tyler Jones led off with
an infield single. Patrick Weaver sacrificed him to second. David
Freese and Jeff Cunningham both walked to load the bases. David
Doss delivered a base hit to right field, plating Jones and Freese
to take a 2-0 lead. Middle Tennessee starter Chad Edwards then uncorked
a wild pitch score Cunningham and giving Jag starter Joey Doan,
a lead to work with.
Middle Tennessee
scored its first run in the top of the second inning. Michael McKenry
singled to right field and scored all the way from first on a double
by Chase Eakes.
South Alabama
scored two more runs in the bottom of the second inning, chasing
Edwards. Collins was hit by a pitch and was sacrificed to second
by Ben Daw. Jones singled to right field, putting two on. Weaver
then lined a double inside the bag to score a pair of runs. USA
scored its sixth run of the game and the third of the inning when
Jeff Beachum booted a routine grounder by Aaron George, putting
the Jag lead at 6-1.
The Jags scored
their seventh run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Doss led off
with a single up the middle and moved to third on a Martinez single.
Collins then bounced a single through the left side, to score Doss
and make it 6-1.
Middle Tennessee
got back in game in the top of the fifth inning when Alex Watson
and Josh Horn both singled to open the inning. After a Beachum ground
out, Nathan Hines doubled into the left center gap plating both
runs. Wayne Kendrick then bounced a single through the left side
putting runners on the corners with one out. Doan then allowed another
single to McKenry, scoring Hines and ended his day. Eric Gonzalez
replaced Doan and got the second out via a strikeout. After an RBI
single by Adam Warren, Gonzalez retired Eakes looking, to end the
inning.
Weaver and Freese
teamed up to score the eighth USA run of the game. Weaver led off
the bottom of the fifth with his fourth triple of the season, a
long drive off the center field fence. Freese then followed with
a chopper over a drawn in infield to score Weaver. For Freese it
was his 57th RBI and it extended his consecutive game hitting streak
to 15. After a fly out by Cunningham and a groundout by Doss, Aaron
George tripled to center field, scoring Freese. It was George’s
first triple of the season and gave the Jags a 9-5 lead.
The Blue Raiders
continued to fight back, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the
sixth. Watson singled and Horn followed with double to left center.
A Beachum groundout plated Watson, to cut the lead to 9-6. A sacrifice
fly by McKenry plated Horn to make the score 9-7. Martin then delivered
a rocket double to the left center field gap to score two runs and
tie the game at nine.
South Alabama
answered the Middle Tennessee four spot with one if its own, scoring
four in the bottom of the sixth, capitalizing on two Middle Tennessee
errors. Four hits plated the four runs. Martinez landed the big
blow with a two-RBI base hit.
South Alabama
rallied to end the game in the bottom of the eighth when it ripped
eight hits and scored seven runs. Collins highlighted the inning
picking up his fifth homerun of the season to center field in his
first at-bat of the innings and a double to score the game ending
run in is second at-bat. The game was then stopped due to the ten-run
rule.
Next up for
USA is a stretch of seven consecutive road games. Wednesday the
Jags head to Hammond, La., for a meeting with Southeastern Louisiana.
The weekend will see the Jags head to Western Kentucky for an SBC
series in Bowling Green, Ky.
You can catch
USA baseball on the Sports Station WNSP 105.5 FM. Live stats can
be accessed at www.usajaguars.com.
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