MONROE, La. - An effective 8.2 innings
pitched from Jarron Cito powered South Alabama to an 8-1 win and series sweep
of the ULM baseball team Sunday afternoon at Warhawk Field.
Nick Zaharion drove an Andrew Richardson (0-2)
offering over the left field wall in the top of the second inning to give South
Alabama (9-14, 5-1 SBC) a 1-0 lead. Richardson
retired the next three hitters in succession, striking out Dustin Dalken and
Hunt Griffith to keep the Jaguar offense at bay.
Les Aulds lined a 2-1 pitch from South
Alabama starter Cito (2-2) into left field in the bottom of the third inning
for ULM's (13-11, 1-5 SBC) first hit of the afternoon. Aulds was then thrown out trying to steal
second base by catcher Brent Mitchell. A
single up the middle from Jeremy Sy kept the Warhawks in business before Caleb
Clowers grounded out unassisted to first baseman Brad Hook.
Richardson motored through the top of the
fifth inning, retiring the side in six pitches to keep the Jaguars off the
scoreboard.
South Alabama struck for three insurance runs
in the bottom of the sixth inning, the first two following a throwing error by
reliever Wil Browning. The Jaguars added
their final run on a Hook single through the right side to push the advantage
to 4-0.
Following two additional scoreless frames,
South Alabama tacked on four runs in the ninth inning, punctuated by a two-run
home run by Whitt Dorsey off ULM pitcher Fraser Adams. Adams forced Dalken to ground out back to the
mound, but not before the Jaguars headed to the home half of the inning firmly
in front 8-0.
ULM got on the board during its final ups in
the ninth inning. Jeff Fuller smashed a
pinch hit double over the head of the left fielder Zaharion with one out. Trent Lucas followed with an RBI single to
score Fuller and cut the deficit to 8-1.
Andrew Fonzi entered in relief of Cito and got Aulds to pop out to
shortstop to end the game.
Sy reached base three times to lead the ULM
offense, while Aulds reached twice on the afternoon. Richardson threw a steady five innings,
allowing two earned runs and striking out four.
Zaharion went 2-for-5 with two home runs and
three RBIs to pace South Alabama, while Nolan Earley, Mitchell, Dorsey and Hook
all added two hits each. Cito allowed
one earned run in his 8.2 innings of work to pick up the win.
ULM is back in action Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
when it travels to Southern Miss.
