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MOBILE, Ala. – The 17th-ranked University of South Alabama baseball team rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat No. 13 Southern Miss 10-9 Tuesday at Stanky Field.

USA (4-1) faced a two-run deficit, trailing 8-6, entering the bottom of the eighth inning, but plated four runs on three hits to earn its fourth win of the season and snap a three-game losing skid to USM.

The Jaguars will return to action this weekend when they host Harford in a three-game series at Stanky Field, beginning with game one Fri., Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m.

GAME FACTS
- USM loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the second on consecutive singles by Cole Donaldson and Storme Cooper, and Gabe Montenegro reached on a throwing error by Jaguar right-hander Tyler Perez on a sacrifice bunt up the third base line. Perez struck out LeeMarcus Boyd for the first out of the inning, before Matthew Guidry lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Donaldson with the game's first run.
- USA loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second. Wells Davis drew a leadoff walk, and advanced to third on a single to right-center field by Carter Perkins to put runners at the corners with no outs. Hunter Stokes then reached on a walk to load the bases, but USM right-hander Walker Powell escaped the jam by recording consecutive strikeouts of Andrew Bates and Michael Sandle for the first two outs of the frame, and an inning-ending fielder's choice on a grounder to third off the bat of Dylan Hardy to preserve a one-run Golden Eagle lead.
- USM put the first two batters of the top of the third on base via consecutive walks. Hunter Slater followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield to double the Golden Eagle lead at 2-0. Perez rolled a 4-3 double play off the bat of Donaldson for the first two outs of the inning, before Montenegro reached on a fielding error by Wells Davis at first that allowed Matt Wallner to score and extend the USM lead to 3-0.
- The Golden Eagles increased their lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth on a two-out solo home run to left field by Luke Reynolds. 
- USA answered in the bottom of the fourth. Hunter Stokes led off the inning with a single to left-center field, and moved to second when Michael Sandle reached on a hit by pitch. Dylan Hardy then delivered a one-out RBI single back up the middle of the infield to score Stokes and cut the USM lead to 4-1. Paul Russo followed with a single to left field to load the bases for Travis Swaggerty, who reached on a hit by pitch from USM right-hander Adam Jackson to score Sandle and cut the Southern Miss lead in half at 4-2. Brendan Donovan followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Hardy and cut the USM lead to 4-3.
- The Golden Eagles responded in the top of the fifth. Montenegro and Boyd reached on back-to-back one-out singles, and both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch by left-hander Zach Melton. A walk by Guidry loaded the bases with one out for Mason Irby, who delivered an RBI single to center field to score Montenegro for a 5-3 USM advantage. Wallner later drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk to score Boyd and double the USM lead at 6-3. Slater followed with a walk to score Guidry to extend the USM lead to 7-3. Donaldson then drew a walk to score Irby for an 8-3 USM advantage. 
- USA put runners at the corners with one out when Donovan singled to left-center field, and advanced to third on an error by Boyd at second on a fielder's choice off the bat of Davis. Perkins followed with an RBI single back up the middle of the infield to score Donovan and cut the USM lead in half at 8-4. A two-out walk by Andrew Bates loaded the bases for Sandle, who delivered a two-run single through the left side of the infield to cut the USM lead to 8-6. 
- Deyvid Silva led off the bottom of the eighth with a pinch-hit single to left field, advanced to second on a fielding error by Montenegro on the play and moved to third on a wild pitch. Hunter Stokes followed with a walk to put runners at the corners with no outs. Andrew Bates then delivered an RBI single to right field to score Silva and cut the USM lead to 8-7. Sandle then delivered a sacrifice fly to right-center to score Stokes and tie the game at 8-8. Russo reached on a fielder's choice on a grounder to first to load the bases with one out for Swaggerty, who drew a walk to score Bates for a 9-8 USA lead. Donovan followed with a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Hardy for a 10-8 lead.
- USM added the game's final run in the top of the ninth on a solo home run to left field by Reynolds.  

NOTES
- Four Jaguars recorded multiple hits in the game, led by Hardy who went 3-for-6 with one RBI and two runs scored. Donovan finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored, Perkins went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, and Stokes finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Swaggerty added a double and two RBIs.
- Right-hander JoJo Booker allowed one run on two hits in one-third of an inning to earn his first career win. Right-hander Chase Lambert tossed one scoreless relief inning, and allowed one hit while striking out one to record his second save of the season.
- USM right-hander Keller Bradford (0-1) allowed two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning in the loss.
- Reynolds went 3-for-5 with two home runs, two RBIs and three runs scored to lead the Golden Eagles at the plate.
- The teams combined for 17 walks and three hit by pitches, with 13 pitchers used in the game between the two schools.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the game:
"We were sloppy tonight; we made three errors and I know we weren't as sharp as we need to be defensively. We'll work on some of those things, but we need to clean up some of the walks and errors."

- On the crowd:
"You have two passionate fan bases, especially for their baseball teams. This is as good as it gets midweek in college baseball. This place was jumping pretty good. Thank you to all of the fans, the people from Hattiesburg (Miss.) who traveled over and thanks to all of our fans who showed up; it means the world to our guys I know that."

- On the eighth-inning rally:
"Andrew Bates gets three hits in game one against Kansas State, and has struggled since. I was thinking about pulling him out and putting an older guy in there, and he said, 'Coach, I'm going to pound this guy.' That's what you want – players with confidence. This is a really hard game, and there's going to be ups and downs. You just have to try and stay level-headed, and Andrew Bates as a freshman stayed really level-headed. He was ready when we needed him to be good. (Travis) Swaggerty took a walk there at the end and (Brendan) Donovan with the sacrifice fly, just some really good at-bats. Michael Sandle had a big base hit, and Deyvid Silva coming off the bench with a leadoff hit against their (USM) lefty. Carter Perkins had some really good at-bats tonight – it took everyone on our roster to win this ballgame tonight."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action this weekend when its hosts Harford in a three-game series at Stanky Field, beginning with game one Fri., Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m.