MOBILE, Ala. — James Traylor struck out a career-high seven batters in 5 2/3 innings of relief Wednesday night, and South Alabama baseball held on to beat Southern Miss 6-5 at Eddie Stanky Field.
The win improved the Jaguars to 12-2 on the season. Southern Miss fell to 6-6.
Early Back-and-Forth
Southern Miss jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, chasing South Alabama starter Andrew Fonzi. Traylor, a left-hander, came on in relief in the opening inning.
The Jaguars answered immediately in the bottom half. A leadoff single was followed by back-to-back walks, and South Alabama finished the inning with a 4-3 lead.
In the second inning, the Jaguars loaded the bases with the help of a walk, and a two-run single up the middle put South Alabama ahead 6-4 after two innings.
Bullpen Closes It Out
Southern Miss managed only one more run, in the top of the fourth, as the South Alabama bullpen kept the Golden Eagles in check the rest of the way.
Traylor’s 5 2/3 innings of relief included a career-best seven strikeouts. Kyle Bartsch pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out two, to earn his third save of the season.
- James Traylor: 5 2/3 innings in relief, career-high 7 strikeouts
- Kyle Bartsch: perfect ninth inning, 2 strikeouts, third save
North Florida Next
South Alabama stays home this weekend for a three-game series against North Florida at Eddie Stanky Field. Friday’s opener is set for 6:30 p.m., Saturday’s game for 2 p.m. and Sunday’s series finale for 1 p.m.
