South Alabama Splits a Pair of High Profile Games Tuesday Evening
South Alabama played a pair of high-profile games on Tuesday, both were shutouts, but only one was a win for the Red, White and Blue.
Baseball
The Jaguar baseball team shut out Alabama 3-0 at Eddie Stanky Field. Three Jag pitchers combined in the effor with right-hander Austin Bembnowsky (2-2) getting the start and throwing five scoreless innings with only two hits allowed while striking out five and only issuing one walk. Ben Taylor threw four scoreless innings in relief and struck out a career-high eight batters with only one walk and four hits to earn his second save of the season.
The Jags (16-9) took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Matt Bolger led off the inning with a double then advanced to third on a throwing error to second. Ryan Raspino hit an RBI groundout to short to bring Bolger home.
They doubled the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning after Bud Collura reached base with a leadoff single to left field. He advanced to second when the throw to second on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Adam Ballew sailed wide of the base. Danny Martinez advanced both runners into scoring position with a groundout to short for the first out of the inning. Then Cole Gleason hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring Collura home for the 2-0 lead.
The Jags threatened to add to their total in the bottom of the fifth when they loaded the bases, but an inning ending popup to short allowed the Crimson Tide to escape the threat.
It was Alabama’s turn to load the bases in the top of the sixth after a leadoff single and consecutive walks by Jag lefty Austin Stephens. Ben Taylor then came in and recorded consecutive strikeouts followed by an inning ending groundout to short to preserve the Jaguar lead.
The Jags added one more in the bottom of the sixth after Gleason reached on a one-out double to right center field. He would score one batter later when Bolger hit an RBI single to center.
Bolger was 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored to lead the Jags batting. Collura added two hits and Martinez and Raspino both added a hit and RBI each.
South Alabama will travel to Louisiana-Monroe for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with the Warhawks.
Softball
The #24 ranked Jaguar softball team did not fare as well as the baseball team when they traveled to Baton Rouge to face the #1 ranked LSU Tigers.
USA could only manage a pair of hits as LSU run-ruled the Jags 8-0 in five innings. LSU improved to 31-1 on the season and scored in all four innings in which they batted. They scored three runs on a passed ball, illegal pitch and a wild pitch in the game.
LSU opened the game with three runs in the bottom of the first, then added two runs each in the second and third innings then capping it off with a solo home run in the fourth inning.
The Jags (21-7) suffered its second run-rule defeat of the season after falling to Louisiana-Monroe in six innings on March 15.
Beard (4-2) suffered the loss after surrendering seven runs, five earned, on five hits with no strikeouts and three walks. Kalen McGill came in as relief and allowed one earned run one two hits with one strikeout and one walk in two innings.
Chloe Rathburn and Haleigh Lowe both went 1-for-2 with the only Jaguar hits of the game. Kaleigh Todd earned a walk as the only other Jaguar to get on base.
LSU improves its all-time advantage over USA to 7-2 while USA falls to 3-2 on the road and 1-2 against SEC opponents this season.
The jags will travel to Atlanta this weekend to face Georgia State in a three-game Sun Belt Conference Series. They will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon then at 11am on Sunday for the finale.