Jags fall in extra innings at tourney

BOWLING GREE, Ky. (WALA) -  Louisiana-Monroe scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat University of South Alabama baseball 7-4 in day one of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Jeff Fuller led off the 10th with a single, and scored on an RBI single by Les Aulds to give ULM (29-27) a 5-4 lead. Joey Rapp delivered a two-run double to right-center field later in the inning for the final two runs in the frame.

Wil Browning (7-3) earned the win in three shutout innings in relief, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Kyle Bartsch (1-4) took the loss in two relief innings, allowing three runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts and one walk.

South Alabama (21-34) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI singles by Whitt Dorsey and Jordan Patterson.

But ULM answered with two runs in the top of the second to tie the game 2-2 on a two-run single by Taylor Abdalla.

USA plated two runs in the bottom of the second on a two-run double by Nolan Earley to take a 4-2 lead. But after ULM starter Randy Zeigler departed after the second inning, the Warhawk bullpen limited the Jaguars to just four hits without allowing a run.

“We didn’t do enough offensively,” USA head coach Mark Calvi said. “We finished with 11 hits, and just didn’t do enough from the fourth (inning) through the 10th unfourtunately, and they (ULM) did. We weren’t great out of the bullpen, and they were good and that was the difference.”

ULM cut the Jaguar lead to 4-3 in the top of the seventh when Caleb Clowers doubled to right field to score Jeremy Sy, who reached on a hit by pitch. Then in the top of the eighth inning, the Warhawks loaded the bases on singles by Fuller and Aulds and a walk by Sy. Clowers then reached on a hit by pitch to push Clowers across and tie the game 4-4.

Earley went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI to lead USA at the plate. Clowers finished 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI to lead the Warhawks.

South Alabama will take on No. 8 Western Kentucky Thursday at 7 p.m.

-- South Alabama media services