MOBILE, Ala. – College of Charleston’s Cody Martin hit a three-run pinch-hit homer in the top of the eighth inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead as the Cougars knocked off University of South Alabama baseball 5-2 Friday night at Stanky Field.
Jaguar left-hander Kyle Bartsch retired the first two Cougars in order in the top of the eighth before two hit by pitches moved the tying run into scoring position. Martin then hit a 2-0 pitch over the right-center field wall to give the Cougars a 4-2 lead.
College of Charleston added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on an RBI double by Daniel Aldrich.
Cougar right-hander Kyle Owings (1-0) earned the win in 1 1/3 shutout innings in relief and struck out two. David Peterson earned the save in two shutout innings of relief, allowing just one hit while striking out three and issuing two walks.
Jaguar starter Jarron Cito went 5 1/3 innings and allowed one unearned run on five hits with nine strikeouts and two walks without factoring in the decision. Bartsch (0-1) suffered the loss in 2/3 innings pitched.
“Jarron did a great job,” USA head coach Mark Calvi said. “All you can ask from your starter is to give your team a chance to win the game, and that’s what he did. He and (College of Charleston starter) Josh Renfro were back and forth. You saw two quality Division-I pitchers go out there and battle it out. Tonight wasn’t our night; they were a little better out of the bullpen than we were.”
Bradley Goodson, Tyler Jackson and Marty Gantt had two hits apiece for the Cougars. Rob Harding added a hit, one RBI and one run scored.
South Alabama first baseman Brad Hook went 1-for-4 with a run scored, and Nolan Earley, Dustin Dalken, Whitt Dorsey and Robby Campbell added one hit each.
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth when Gantt reached on an error to lead off the inning and later scored on Harding’s RBI single to left field.
But South Alabama answered in the bottom of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Jordan Patterson walked to lead off the inning, and later moved to second on a single by Hook. Both runners moved up a base following a groundout off the bat of Earley. Pinch-hitter Nick Zaharion then followed with a grounder that Cougar shortstop Goodson mishandled to allow both runs to score.
CofC looked to tie the game in the top of the seventh when Jackson doubled to the right-center gap following a Goodson single. But Jaguar second baseman Logan Kirkland took the relay from Earley and fired a strike to catcher J.T.Files for the putout of Goodson at the plate.
But the Cougars added four unanswered runs in the final two frames to secure a 5-2 win.
Game two of the series is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon 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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