LAFAYETTE, La. — South Alabama baseball won two of three games at Louisiana-Lafayette over the weekend, rallying from a six-run deficit Saturday and splitting a Sunday doubleheader to clinch the Sun Belt Conference series.
The Jaguars improved to 39-14 overall and 19-8 in Sun Belt play and remain in first place in the conference standings, one game ahead of Troy, with one regular-season series remaining.
Comeback Win Saturday
The series opener, scheduled for Friday, was canceled because of weather. When the teams took the field Saturday, Louisiana-Lafayette scored six runs in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead.
Anthony Izzio entered in relief and held the Ragin’ Cajuns scoreless the rest of the way until he was lifted with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. He allowed four hits, struck out four and walked one, retiring eight of the last nine batters he faced, and earned his first win of the season. Dylan Stamey struck out the only batter he faced to record his fourth save.
South Alabama got on the board in the top of the fifth when Nolan Earley led off with a double to left-center field and scored on an RBI single by Dustin Dalken. The Jaguars scored four more runs in the sixth, all with two outs, to pull within 6-5.
Nick Zaharion led off the eighth with a single, and Dalken followed with a two-run home run that gave South Alabama its first lead of the game at 7-6. Jeff DeBlieux added a two-run single for a 9-6 final.
Sunday Split
The canceled game was made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday. South Alabama clinched the series by winning the first game 9-5 after scoring two runs in the top of the first inning.
Louisiana-Lafayette avoided a sweep by winning the second game 17-7. The Ragin’ Cajuns scored in six of seven innings, including two five-run innings.
Troy Series Will Decide Title
South Alabama closes the regular season this week by hosting Troy in a three-game series at Eddie Stanky Field, with first place in the Sun Belt at stake. The games are scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with first pitch at 6:30 p.m. each night.
