MOBILE, Ala. - Five runs in the sixth inning broke a 3-3 tie, and the Red team held on for an 8-5 win in game six of the Red & Blue World Series on Tuesday night at Stanky Field. With the win, the Red team tied the series at three games apiece, forcing game seven at 4 p.m. Thursday.

Shane LeBlanc's effort on the mound made sure the series would be extended. The redshirt freshman earned the victory after allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts in five innings. Kyle Dees allowed a pair of unearned runs in the sixth inning, and Phillip Byrd earned the save by getting the final three outs in the seventh.

The Blue team got on the board in the bottom of the first when Taylor White walked, stole second base, advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on Clint Reynolds' RBI single.

Blue team starting pitcher Lance Brown allowed only a walk in the first two innings, but the Red team broke through to tie the game at 1-1 in the third, then took the lead in the fourth.

Brittian Schultz walked leading off the third, then Kyle Dees and Nathaniel Lami knocked  back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs. Brown rebounded with a strikeout of Dominic Diaz, but the tying run scored when Adam Heisler was hit by a pitch.

Brown got out of the jam when Tyler Vick lined into a double play, but he was unable to escape a similar jam in the fourth. With one out, Brown hit two consecutive batters, then turned the ball over to Michael Raia who loaded the bases by hitting the first batter he faced.

Dees gave the Red team the lead when he drove in a run on an infield single, and two batters later Diaz made it 3-1 when he drew a bases-loaded walk.

The Blue team cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the frame when Sean Laird hit a two-out double and scored on Brad Hammac's RBI single. Raia worked around a leadoff single in the top of the fifth, and the Blue team tied the game with a manufactured run in the bottom of the inning.

Brad Hook led off with a single, advanced to second on Hunt Griffith's sacrifice bunt, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Taylor White's sacrifice fly. But the Red team batted around and scored five runs in the top of the sixth.

Schultz led off with a double, advanced to third on Dees' sacrifice bunt and gave the Red team the lead when he scored on Lami's RBI single. Another single from Diaz chased Raia from the game and brought on Conner Reese. Adam Heisler drove in Lami with an infield single, then Vick brought in another run on a sacrifice fly and Brent Tanner capped the five-run outburst with a towering two-run homer to right-center field.

The Blue team threatened in the sixth when Hook brought in a pair of runs on a two-out single that cut the deficit to 8-5, but Dees got the Griffith to ground into a fielder's choice to send the game to the seventh and final inning.

Jake LeBlanc held the Blue team's deficit at three with a 1-2-3 inning, and Taylor White led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, but Byrd retired the next three batters in order to earn the save.

Hook had the only multi-hit game for the Blue team, going 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI. The Red team was led by Lami, who went 2-for-5 drove in a run and scored once, and Dees - a pitcher who started at second base because Derek O'Reilly was unavailable - who went 2-for-3 and drove in one run. Heisler and Tanner each added two RBI for the Red team.

The seventh and deciding game of the Red & Blue World Series is slated for 4 p.m. Thursday at Stanky Field.

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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