MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama (1-1) rallied late to get by Southeast Missouri (1-1) in a close 6-5 win that evened the series at one game apiece Saturday afternoon at Stanky Field.
Tied, 4-4, after after seven innings, USA scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to claim its first victory of 2021.
Peyton Leeper walked, went to second on a single by
Lincoln Andrews and later scored an unearned to put the Redhawks up 4-3 in the top of the eighth.
Noah Bailey knotted things up on a sacrifice bunt during the Jaguars turn in the eighth. Reid Powers then doubled to left field to score pinch-runner Drake Dobyanski for the game-winner.
USA's bullpen finished off the Redhawks with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
SEMO got on the board first with the help of two hits and an error.
Danny Wright reached on a mishap by left fielder Caleb Balgaard. Wright went to second on an ensuing bunt single by
Wade Stauss, advanced to third on
Tyler Wilber's single and scored when
Andrew Keck hit into a double play in the top of the first inning.
The Redhawks put up three more runs in the fourth inning. Andrews doubled home
Austin Blazevic.
Peyton Leeper, who was hit by a pitch, would score on wild pitch and Andrews touched home on a sacrifice bunt by
Connor Basler to grab SEMO a 4-2 advantage.
USA, however, answered with two runs in both the seventh and eighth frames.
SEMO outhit USA, 10-6, with four players getting two hits. Stauss, Blazevic, Wilber and Andrews contributed multiple hits. For Andrews, it was his second-straight multi-hit performance.
Left-hander
Noah Niznik made his first start of the season on the mound. Niznik gave up two runs on three hits, walked four and struck out three in 5.1 innings.
Relievers
Austin Williams,
Hunter Ralls,
Blake Cisneros and
Kyle Miller pitched the rest of the way. Cisneros (0-1) was credited with the loss.
Tyler Samaniego (1-0) picked up the win out of the Jaguars bullpen and Collin Brougham earned his first save.
SEMO and USA wrap up their three-game set at 1 p.m., CT Sunday. Right-hander
Ryan Vogt will make his first career start for the Redhawks.
