South Alabama Sports Weekend Update
Baseball
Florida Atlantic had the Jaguars number this weekend in Boca Raton as the #24 were swept in the three game Sun Belt Conference series.
In the opening game on Friday, the Jags jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Austin Gomber belted a three-run homer to right. The Owls would cut the lead down to one in the bottom of the first inning after Tyler Rocklein also homered to right field.
In the bottom of the second inning the Owls took the lead 4-3 on consecutive RBI singles. They then extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning to the final score 6-3 as the Jags were unable to get anything going to manufacture runs.
Brandon Boyle suffered the loss in five innings of work by allowing four earned runs on 10 hits with a strikeout and two walks. James Traylor struck out five and only allowed two hits in three shutout innings of relief.
On Saturday, the Owls scored five unanswered runs to defeat the Jags 7-6. Through 4 1/2 innings the Jags led 6-2 before the Owls scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run triple followed by an RBI single to cut the Jaguar lead to 6-5.
The Owls then tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on a sac fly. They then scored the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth on a Jag error that allowed the runner to score from second after reaching on a leadoff single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.
On Sunday, FAU’s Jeremy Strawn threw a complete-game shutout as the Owls completed the series sweep with a 3-0 win over the Jags. Strawn improved his overall record to 2-1 on the season while Jacob Noble suffered his first loss of the season.
FAU scored their first two runs in the bottom of the second inning with the first coming on a Jaguar error at third base. Then their second came on a sacrifice bunt.
The Jags loaded the bases in the top of the third inning but Strawn worked out of it by inducing a grounder for a force out at home plate, then he struck out Jordan Patterson to end the Jaguar threat.
FAU improved to 19-9 on the season and 7-2 in Sun Belt play while the Jaguars fell to 22-7 overall this season and 5-4 in Sun Belt play.
The Jags are in action again on Tuesday evening as they host Mississippi State with first pitch scheduled for 6:30pm.
Softball
The Lady Jaguars split the series opening doubleheader on Friday against Western Kentucky at Jaguar Field.
In the first game the Jags fell 4-3. WKU were the first on the board with a solo home run to left center in the top of the fourth inning, only the fifth homerun given up by Hannah Campbell this season.
The Jags responded in the bottom half of the inning after a Brittany Fowler single and a Haley Fagan double that scored Fowler. Then Julie Moss put down a sacrifice bunt to move Fagan to third base before Kaitlyn Griffith knocked her sixth home run of the year to give the Jags a 3-1 lead.
The next inning the ‘Toppers scored the game-winning two-out single to score both runners on base for the 4-3 margin.
In the second game the Jags responded with an 8-5 win. The Jags opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Both schools scored a run in the fifth inning. Then the Jags scored their final runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth when they extended their lead to 8-3.
WKU would add two more runs for the final score of 8-5.
On Sunday, WKU’s ace pitcher dominated the beginning of the game by retirin gnine of the Jags first 10 batters before Blair Johnson hit a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game up at 1 apiece.
That wouldn’t last long as the ‘Toppers would respond in the top of the next inning with two runs to take a 3-1 advantage.
Britany Campbell would cut the WKU lead to one as she hit a home run over the right field wall, but consecutive fly outs would end the game.
The Lady Jags fell to 29-7 on the season and 6-3 in conference play. Hannah Campbell’s loss dropped her record to 13-7 on the season.
The Lady Jags will return to action on Wednesday with a midweek series against Florida Atlantic. They have a double-header scheduled on Wednesday with the first game set to start at 4pm.