South Alabama squanders big lead

TROY — Before the outcome rested in their hands, the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks needed a spark, needed a reason to believe, needed something.

South Alabama jumped on ULM for four runs in the second and extended its lead to 6-0 through three innings. But the Jaguars couldn’t put the Warhawks away. Even worse, they gave them some help. USA starter Matt Jackson hit three batters and walked another during ULM’s five-run fourth inning.

That momentum shift — paired with a fine long relief performance by Drew Graham — sent ULM on its way to a 13-8 victory over South Alabama.

“We had dropped eight straight conference games, so it’s a tribute to our players for not giving up,” ULM coach Jeff Schexnaider said. “Even when it went bad early they kept playing the game hard.”

ULM (29-26) advanced to play the Troy-Western Kentucky loser today at 12:30 p.m. South Alabama (25-30) was eliminated.
South Alabama’s Jack Overstreet hit a pair of two-run homers — one in a four-run second and one in the third — to put the Jaguars comfortably ahead. His second homer came off Graham, who relieved ULM starter Justin Anderson.

“I was trying my best to stay tough, hang in and not panic,” the senior Graham said.

“We had debated starting him,” Schexnaider said. “But we like him with the ball at the end of the game. We had to bring him in a little sooner. He got to 115 pitches. He competed really hard, like he did all year long. We knew he’d give us a chance to compete.”

By the time Drew exited in the eighth inning, after he gave up six hits and two earned runs over 4 2/3 innings, the game had changed. Nick Wade, who finished 3-for-5, had a two-run single in ULM’s five-run fourth. Perry Smith, who was also 3-for-5, doubled in two runs in that inning. The Warhawks scored five runs on three hits.

“Things that were going bad for us for a long time, finally we took advantage of another team’s mistakes,” Schexnaider said. “It gave us a little chance to catch
up.”

South Alabama scored an unearned run in the fourth to lead 7-5, but ULM put up three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take the lead. Matt
Collins’ two-run homer to right tied it in the fifth.

“I was sitting on a changeup and he finally came back to it,” Collins said. “With that short wall you just have to get it up and it’ll go in this wind.”

Matt Laird singled, stole second and scored on Wade’s single to center to put the Warhawks up 8-7.

Jon Prevost’s two-run homer down the short right-field line highlighted a three-run sixth.

“We were a little dead at first,” said Collins, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. “We finally had a little fun and started playing the game the way it’s
supposed to be played.”

Ben Soignier pitched the final two innings in relief of Graham to clinch the victory.