Baseball Falls in Series Finale 8-6 Sunday at South Alabama

Sunday, April 7

Mobile, Ala.

1 p.m.

Southern Miss

20-12, 8-4

South Alabama

17-14, 4-8

Southern Miss

South Alabama

Photo by: Joe Harper/bgnphoto.com

Baseball Falls in Series Finale 8-6 Sunday at South Alabama

4/7/2024 4:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama overcame a first-inning deficit and broke open a tie three times to defeat Southern Miss 8-6 Sunday afternoon at Eddie Stanky Field to salvage the final game of the series.

The Golden Eagles (20-12 overall, 8-4 Sun Belt) had a seven-game winning streak snapped against the Jaguars (17-15, 4-8).

Ozzie Pratt led the Eagles with a 4-for-4 day, while Dalton McIntyre added three hits and Carson Paetow, Nick Monistere and Tucker Stockman added two each in the Golden Eagles 15-hit attack.

For the second-straight day, the Golden Eagles scored early with a pair of runs. The first three batters reached via hits starting with a single from McIntyre. Pratt followed with a double over the left fielder's head to drive in the first run, before Slade Wilks laced a double into the left-center gap to make the score 2-0.

The Jaguars took their initial lead in the bottom half of the inning. Southern Miss starter Will Armistead hit the first two batters to start things. Lucas Ismaili then tripled into the right-center gap to knock in the first two runs, before scoring two batters later on a sacrifice bunt.

A bloop double by Paetow in the third that was lost in the sun by the Jaguar shortstop, allowing Pratt to score tied the score at 3-3. Pratt had reached base with a single before going to second after a hit from Billy Butler.
The lead was again taken in the bottom half of the frame as the Jags scored twice on four hits – three of those bunt singles – two of which plated a run to give the home squad the 5-3 advantage.

Southern Miss again tied the game in the fourth with two more tallies. Monistere led things off with a double into the left field corner, before going to third on a single by Stockman. After a strikeout, McIntyre singled in the first run before Pratt doubled in the other to knot things up again.

USA then went up 6-5 in the fourth on a two-out, RBI single from Ethan Melton. The Jags looked to score two on the play as the bases were loaded, but the hit to McIntyre enabled him to throw out a runner at third base before the second run could reach home which gave South Alabama just a 6-5 advantage.

It was Paetow again that tied the game in the sixth with a looping single to center which scored Pratt, who reached base by walking.

With the game tied at 6-6, USA took a two-run advantage in the fifth with a RBI single via a Brennan Holt single and a run-scoring triple by Melton, which proved to the difference in the contest.

USA reliever John Michael Gillis (1-0) collected the victory by allowing a run on three hits with two walks and a strikeout, while Golden Eagle reliever JB. Middleton suffered the loss by giving up two runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts to fall to 1-1.

The Golden Eagles return to action Tuesday when they play host to Southeastern Louisiana at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field. Game time is set for 6 p.m.