MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama baseball’s season ended Thursday at Eddie Stanky Field, where third-seeded Arkansas State scored twice in the eighth inning and once in the ninth to eliminate the Jaguars from the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with a 4-3 win.
The loss came after South Alabama dropped an 8-4 decision to UT Arlington in its tournament opener. The Jaguars finished the season 22-33. Arkansas State improved to 31-26 and advanced in the tournament.
Pitchers’ Duel
South Alabama starter Locke St. John worked 7 2/3 innings and allowed one earned run on five hits, striking out six and walking two. He was charged with the loss. Arkansas State’s Bradley Wallace earned the win, allowing one earned run on seven hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Arkansas State scored in the top of the first. Zach Maggio drew a leadoff walk and reached second when St. John made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt at first base. Tanner Ring followed with a one-out RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.
South Alabama answered in the bottom half. Garrett DeGallier, Bud Collura and Cole Gleason opened with three straight singles to load the bases, and DeGallier scored when Erik Hindmon reached on a fielder’s choice to tie the game 1-1.
The Jaguars loaded the bases again in the second on singles by Davis Knapp, Collura and Gleason, but Wallace retired Connor Hawthorne on a fly ball to right field to end the threat.
South Alabama took the lead in the fourth. DeGallier led off by reaching second on a fielding error by the Arkansas State first baseman, and Hawthorne drove him in with a two-out single to right for a 2-1 advantage.
Red Wolves Rally Late
The score held until the eighth. Pinch hitter Derek Birginske tied the game with an RBI single, and Austin Baker’s run-scoring single to center gave Arkansas State a 3-2 lead and ended St. John’s outing.
In the ninth, Stuart Levy singled to right with one out and took second when the ball was misplayed in the gap. Lucas Feddersen’s two-out RBI single to center made it 4-2.
South Alabama pulled within a run in the bottom of the ninth. DeGallier doubled down the left-field line with one out and scored on Gleason’s two-out single to right, but the Jaguars could not bring home the tying run.
At the Plate
- Gleason went 3-for-5 with an RBI.
- DeGallier went 2-for-5 with a double and scored all three South Alabama runs.
- Collura added two hits.
- Hawthorne drove in a run with his fourth-inning single.
