Jaguars Score Three in Seventh Inning to Rally Past Cajuns

Contact: Matt Hebert

Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

MOBILE, Ala. – South Alabama rallied with three runs off of Louisiana reliever Caleb Kellogg in the seventh inning to post a 7-5 come-from-behind victory in the Sun Belt series opener at Stanky Field Friday evening.

Louisiana (17-20, 6-10 Sun Belt) had used a three-run rally of its own capped off by a two-run double from Jace Conrad in the sixth inning to give starting pitcher Jordan Nicholson a 5-4 lead.

Kellogg was called in to duty in the seventh inning in an attempt to lock down the lead. South Alabama (15-23, 9-7 Sun Belt) was able to get a one-out rally going and wound up spoiling the save opportunity.

Nick Zaharion singled to left field and advanced to second base on a Kellogg wild pitch. Dustin Dalken pulled the Jaguars even at 5-all with a single of his own to center field.

Kellogg forced J.T. Files to pop out for the second out of the frame, but a two-out walk placed the go-ahead run at second base. After the walk, Robby Campbell's fourth hit of the night was a single to right center that plated pinch runner Harold Collins and put USA up 6-5.

USA added a third run in the frame on Kellogg's second wild pitch and relievers Jarrett Bailey and Kyle Bartsch held the Cajuns scoreless over the final two innings to wrap up the victory.

Bailey, who ended the Cajuns uprising in the sixth inning with back-to-back strikeouts, was credited with the win after finishing with 2 2/3 innings of perfect relief. Bartsch picked up his seventh save of the season.

Kellogg gave up his first earned runs in Sun Belt Conference play and was charged with the loss. The Jaguars three-spot ended a string of 18 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings tossed by the UL bullpen in SBC play which dated back to the Friday game of the Western Kentucky series.

The two teams continue the series on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Louisiana is scheduled to start lefthander Chris Griffitt (4-2, 3.86 ERA) and he'll be opposed by South Alabama righthander Payton Gardner (0-2, 5.96 ERA).

Conrad was the offensive star for the Ragin' Cajuns, turning in a 3-for-3 performance with two RBI. It was the freshman's 11^th multiple-hit game and third multiple-RBI game.

Campbell paced the Jaguars with a 4-for-4 showing at the plate. USA posted 13 base hits marking the 11^th time in 16 Sun Belt games that the squad reached double figures.

Nicholson was left with a no-decision despite allowing only one earned run in 5 2/3 innings. His bid to break a personal three-game losing streak fell short due to the Jaguars' seventh-inning rally.

Louisiana dropped a Sun Belt series opener for the fourth straight weekend and dropped a season-high four games below .500 in league play. UL now trails USA by three games for fifth place in the SBC standings.

The Cajuns broke a scoreless tie in the third inning after becoming the first team to have the leadoff batter reach base. Conrad singled through the left side to start the frame, then an Adam Todd sacrifice bunt turned into an infield single and a Brian Bowman blooper fell into the right center field gap loading the bases with no outs.

USA starter Phillip Byrd, who had been getting ahead in the count on Cajuns batters, began to fall behind following a foul out by Tyler Girouard. He issued a four-pitch walk to Ryan Leonards for force home the first run. A second run came across on a Chase Compton fielder's choice ground out to first base.

The Jaguars threatened to respond in the bottom of the third after a leadoff single by Campbell and one-out single down the right field line by Whitt Dorsey placed runners on the corners. Nicholson came away unscathed as Jordan Patterson weakly grounded back to the mound to hold Campbell at third base and Brad Hook flied out to center for the third out.

The Jaguars were able to break through and grabbed the lead in the fourth inning benefitting from a pair of Cajuns errors.

Ryan Leonards misplayed a sure-fire double play ball to allow Zaharion, who was hit by pitch to start the inning, to score USA's first run and moved Files (one-out single) to third base. Files would score on an infield single by Campbell to knot the score at 2-all.

Conrad, who entered the game having played 31 consecutive error-free games, misplayed a grounder off the bat of Nolan Earley and the Jaguars were able to plate a third run and take a 3-2 lead.

USA stretched the lead to 4-2 in the fifth inning after a catcher's interference call erased a ground out from Hook. Back-to-back singles from Zaharion and Dalken brought Hook home. Nicholson kept USA from extending the lead any further when he forced Files to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.

BASES NOTED: The Jaguars are under the direction of first-year head coach Mark Calvi, who replaced Steve Kittrell who retired after the 2011 season…Friday night's game marked the first meeting between UL and USA in which Kittrell was not the Jaguars head coach since the 1983 season…Jace Conrad's error in the fourth inning was the first he committed since the Feb. 24 contest vs. Towson…Prior to the error, Conrad had fielded 135 consecutive chances flawlessly dating back to an error committed in the eighth inning of the Feb. 24 game vs. Towson…UL played its 21^st game decided by two runs or less (now 11-10 in such situation)…The Cajuns started a stretch in which six of the next seven games are on the road…UL fell to 3-12 in games away from M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field…The Cajuns pitching staff held the opposition to single digits in runs for the 36^th time in 37 games and 21^st straight game since allowing 11 to Southern Miss on March 11...Louisiana lost for only the third time when leading after six innings (now 10-3 when leading after six innings)…South Alabama posted its first win this season when trailing after six; the Jaguars entered the game 0-17 when trailing after six complete.

-- Ragin' Cajuns --

Jaguars Score Three in Seventh Inning to Rally Past Cajuns

Next Event

Footer

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics