LAFAYETTE - South Alabama scored five runs over the last five innings, while the No. 17-ranked Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns committed a season-high four errors resulting in a 6-2 home loss here Sunday afternoon at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.

South Alabama (15-11, 1-2 Sun Belt) avoided their first sweep by the Cajuns since 2000, when Louisiana-Lafayette (22-5, 2-1 Sun Belt) swept the Jaguars March 17-19 in Lafayette.

USA starting pitcher Jeramy Simmons (2-1) earned the complete-game victory, striking out nine batters, while allowing two runs on six hits. UL Lafayette starting pitcher Buddy Glass (2-1) received the loss, going five innings. Glass allowed three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.

South Alabama scored first in the opening inning. Tyler Jones led off with a single through the left side. After Jones stole second base, Ben Froemming had an infield single that advanced Jones to third base. David Freese grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, which scored Jones to give the Jaguars a 1-0 advantage.

After a John Coker ground out and a Josh Landry strike out, John McCarthy tied the game at 1-1 with his first home run of the season - an opposite field effort over the left field fence - in the bottom half of the first inning. Dallas Morris extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a single up the middle.

After three complete scoreless innings, Jones broke a 1-1 tie and had his second straight hit with a solo home run to left field, giving the Jaguars a 2-1 advantage, in the fifth inning. Prior to Sunday's game, Jones was 0-for-9 against the Cajuns in the first two games of the series.

In the bottom of the fifth, Justin Merendino led off with an infield single to third. After Justin Morgan's sacrifice bunt advanced Merendino to second, Micah Cockrell put runners on the corners with a single to center field. Coker struck out and Landry lined out to USA pitcher Jeramy Simmons to end the inning.

Quendon Montgomery reached on a throwing error by Phillip Hawke to lead off the sixth inning. After Montgomery stole second, Josh Morgan singled up the middle, plating Montgomery to give South Alabama a 3-1 lead.

Thad Montgomery then came on in relief of Buddy Glass. Montgomery surrendered a single to Ryan Nichols, before retiring Joel Collins and Guillermo Martinez. Nichols was throwing at second on a Jeff Morris fielder's choice to end the inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Hawke launched his fifth home run of the season on Simmons' first pitch to cut the Jaguars' lead to 3-2.

South Alabama added another run in the seventh on Freese's sacrifice fly to deep center field that plated Jones, giving the Jaguars a 4-2 advantage.

The Jaguars added two "insurance" runs in the ninth inning to take the 6-2 victory.

Jones led the Jaguars at the plate, going 4-for-5 with an RBI and four runs scored. Froemming when 3-for-5 with an RBI.

Six different Cajuns batters registered a hit. McCarthy and Hawke each had an RBI - both off solo home runs.

Montgomery went 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs on three hits with three strikeouts. Freshman Hunter Moody went 2/3 innings of relief.

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns return to action Tuesday when they host Southland Conference foe Northwestern State in a slated 6:30 p.m. first pitch at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field.


LOUISIANA SI