Thursday, May 23, 2002

Six-run eighth inning lifts South Alabama to 11-5 victory over FIU in the Sun Belt Tournament

outh Alabama used a six-run eighth inning to beat FIU, 11-5, at Stanky Field in Mobile, AL. USA's Ryan Mulhern was the main thorn in the Golden Panthers side, driving in four runs and scoring two.

South Alabama was able to hit FIU ace Derek DeCarlo to start the game. After TJ Touchstone singled and Erik Smallwood walked, Jaguar home run leader, Mulhern hit one over the left center field wall for a quick three-run lead.

FIU took until two outs in the third inning to get on the board, as Adam Summerell singled for the Golden Panthers first hit of the game. Dean Adams followed with a double down the right field line to score Summerell. Before Solomon Frieder had a chance to get a RBI, Adams was caught at third on a wild pitch.

DeCarlo settled down after the first, striking out the next four batters and not allowing a run the next two innings. USA increased in the fourth, with a Touchstone single that scored Brett Parker from second on a hit and run. After the second out of the inning, Jansen Rayborn doubled to right center that plated Touchstone for a 5-1 Jaguar lead. Michael Baluja (6-5) would relieve DeCarlo to start the fifth inning.

FIU got one back in the fifth, as Summerell singled in his fifth RBI of the tournament, after two singles by Tommy Duenas and Skip Adams. Jaguar pitcher Clark Girardeau then walked Freider to bring up Sun Belt home run leader Brad Eldred with the bases loaded and two outs. Eldred nailed a 0-2 pitch to third, but USA's Kevin Sytko made a great stop to throw out Eldred at first.

Skip Adams brought FIU back to within two, singling in Bernie Gonzalez, who doubled to right center earlier in the sixth inning.

USA helped FIU tie the game in the top of the eighth inning, as shortstop Brett Parker booted a ground ball off the bat of Hector Nunez. Duenas followed with a single to Parker. After a sacrifice bunt by Skip Adams to move Nunez and Duenas in scoring position, pinch hitter Daniel Bustamente singled in Nunez.

The Jaguars brought in reliever Bert Heath (9-3), who struck out Summerell for the second out. USA's Parker booted his second ground ball by Dean Adams to plate Duenas for the tying run. Heath then got Frieder to ground out to end the FIU threat.

South Alabama took the lead right back in the bottom half of the eighth, when Smallwood singled in Sytko for the leading run. FIU's Arthur Santos relieved Baluja after intentionally walking Rayborn to load the bases with one out.

Mulhern and Josh Touchstone both singled in runs, followed by a two-run double by Jason Gross and another RBI single by Shane Scoville. For the inning, South Alabama scored six runs and batted around the order to put the game away.

"The wheels came off in the eighth inning," said head coach Danny Price. "This is what tournament play is about. Tomorrow is another day."

FIU will now play New Orleans in an elimination game tomorrow at approximately 1:30 p.m. (ET). South Alabama will play the winner at 7:30 p.m.