MOBILE, Ala. - Trailing by four runs and just three outs away from a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven Red & Blue World Series, the Red team rallied for five runs in the bottom of the seventh and final inning for a 6-5 win. Brent Mitchell's walk-off single capped the outburst and evened the series at two games apiece.

The Blue team was dominant through the first six innings. Lance Baxter started on the mound and allowed one run on one hit in four innings of work, and Jake LeBlanc took advantage of a pair of groundball double plays in two shutout innings of relief. However, Lance Brown was unable to hold the lead, surrendering five runs on five hits in the bottom of the seventh.

Red team starting pitcher D.D. Hanks worked around a pair of two-out singles in a scoreless first inning, then allowed an unearned run to score after Brad Hook reached on a two-out, two-base error. Hunt Griffith followed with a RBI single to put the Blue team ahead 1-0, but the lead would be short-lived.

Baxter hit the first two batters of the next inning, then loaded the bases with no outs after Mitchell reached on an error while attempting to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Brittian Schultz came close to putting the Red team on top, but Sean Laird made a diving catch for the first out of the inning, allowing only Brent Tanner to score on the sacrifice fly.

Baxter got out of the inning without further damage with a strikeout and a fielder's choice groundout, then his Blue team offense went back to work.

Clint Reynolds led off the third with a bunt single, Zach Grichor singled to center field, and Jake Overstreet followed with another bunt single to load the bases with no outs in the frame. Hanks caught Laird looking for the first out, then allowed one run to score on Brad Hammac's groundout and another on a passed ball before getting out of the inning with a strikeout.

The Blue team maintained its 3-1 lead with Baxter on the mound in the third and fourth, then added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth against reliever Kyle Dees. Hanks had to leave the game after three innings due to a high pitch count. He allowed three runs - one of which was earned - on six hits with four strikeouts.

Dees walked Reynolds leading off the fifth, and Reynolds reached second base on a failed pickoff attempt. Grichor followed with a RBI single, then stole second base and came around to score on Hammac's RBI single, giving the Blue team a 5-1 lead. Stuart Barton singled and Hook walked to load the bases, but Dees got Hunt Griffith to foul out to end the inning.

LeBlanc came on in relief of Baxter to start the fifth. He allowed a leadoff single to Nathaniel Lami, but then got a groundball double play from Dominic Diaz and a groundout from Adam Heisler.

Dees settled down and worked a 1-2-3 top half of the sixth, and LeBlanc ran into trouble in the bottom half of the inning. Tyler Vick, Brent Tanner and Nolan Earley all singled to load the bases with no outs, but Mitchell struck out LeBlanc got Schultz to hit into a double play to keep the lead at 5-1 going to the final inning.

Dees again worked a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two along the way. He ended up with the win after allowed two runs on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts in four innings of relief.

Brown came on with a four-run lead in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally started quickly as Derek O'Reilly singled and Lami was hit by a pitch. Diaz grounded out for the first out, but Heisler followed with a RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-2. Brown looked like he might escape the inning after striking out Vick for the second out, but Tanner delivered a two-run double and Earley tied the game with a RBI double. Earley came around to score the winning run on Mitchell's walk-off single.

Tanner finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, while Earley went 2-for-3, scored once and drove in one run for the Red team. The Blue team was led by Grichor, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and a stolen base. Overstreet had the only other multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 effort, while Hammac drove in a pair of runs and Reynolds scored twice.

Game five of the Red & Blue World Series is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Stanky Field. The first four games of the series have all been decided by one run, with two of those games ending on walk-offs.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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