MONROE, La. — South Alabama swept a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Louisiana-Monroe over the weekend, winning 10-8, 9-6 and 7-2 to stretch its winning streak to seven games.
The Jaguars improved to 34-12 overall and 15-6 in league play and now lead the Sun Belt standings by two games.
Friday: South Alabama 10, Louisiana-Monroe 8
Jarron City earned the win in the opener, allowing five runs on nine hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts and two walks. Dylan Stamey recorded his third save of the season, striking out four and allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Jordan Patterson went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Jeff DeBlieux was 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs, and Dustin Dalken also homered for the Jaguars.
Saturday: South Alabama 9, Louisiana-Monroe 6
Trailing 5-3, South Alabama scored six runs in the fifth inning to take a 9-5 lead. The Warhawks managed only one more run.
Hunter Soleymani earned his first win as a Jaguar with 6 2/3 innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Sunday: South Alabama 7, Louisiana-Monroe 2
Jacob Noble picked up his fifth win of the season, allowing one earned run on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks in five innings. Patterson pitched two scoreless innings for his second save, allowing two hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Freshman Cole Billingsley threw two scoreless innings in his first pitching appearance for South Alabama, giving up one hit with one walk and one strikeout.
Eight Jaguars starters had hits in the finale. Zaharion went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, a walk and two runs scored, and Patterson finished 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk and three runs.
Sun Belt Race
South Alabama holds a two-game lead over second-place Troy (13-8 Sun Belt) with three conference series remaining. Western Kentucky, which had been second, was swept by Arkansas-Little Rock over the weekend and dropped into a tie for fifth.
The Jaguars and Trojans meet in a three-game series to close the regular season.
Up Next: Middle Tennessee
South Alabama returns home this weekend to host Middle Tennessee State in a three-game Sun Belt series at Eddie Stanky Field. The opener is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday. The Jaguars are coached by Mark Calvi.
Pregame Background
South Alabama entered the series in first place in the Sun Belt at 12-6 in league play, riding a five-game winning streak after taking two of three from Western Kentucky and sweeping a midweek series from Jacksonville State. The Jaguars had won their previous three Sun Belt series.
Louisiana-Monroe came in 16-26 overall and 5-13 in the conference, tied for last place, and ranked last in the league in team batting average and ERA.
Jarron Cito started Friday’s opener for South Alabama. Saturday’s game was televised on the Sun Belt Network and streamed on ESPN3.com, and all three games were broadcast on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile.
