Box Score MOBILE, Ala. – The UALR baseball team (4-7, 1-2) dropped the series finale with South Alabama (11-5, 2-1) by a score of 3-2 in 11 innings on Sunday afternoon.
Drew Merten recorded the Trojans' first hit of the day with a single through the left side in the top of the third inning. Merten was then thrown out at second after attempting to steal.
South Alabama got on the board first in the bottom of the third with a two-RBI double down the right field line.
All was quiet until the Trojans' bats came alive in the seventh as Ryan Scott led off the inning with a single to left, extending his hitting and reached base streak to eight games. Scott then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Scott tagged up and advanced to third after Tanner Rockwell flied out to left center. Scott then scored the Trojans' first run of the game as Kyle Kirk hit UALR's only extra-base hit of the game with an RBI double to right center. Kirk advanced to third after Joseph Paulino grounded out to second and then scored as Sam Vogel hit an RBI single to tie the game at 2-2.
After seven innings, starter Sam Thoele was relieved by Cameron Allen. Thoele struck out four and gave up five hits, two walks and two runs on 99 pitches.
"We got a really good start out of Thoele, and he keeps getting better and better," head coach Chris Curry said.
After both teams failed to score any more runs in regulation, both squads went to extra innings for the first time this season. The Trojans couldn't get it going at the plate in extras and were forced to rely on pitching the rest of the way.
Allen pitched three innings, giving up just two hits and a walk, and was relieved by Dyllon Brownmiller to begin the 11th inning.
Brownmiller gave up the leadoff single through the right side and followed that up by walking the next South Alabama batter. With two on and nobody out, the Jags reached on a fielder's choice and scored the winning run after an errant throw to third sealed the game.
Vogel and Jason Prevatt were the only Trojans with multiple hits as both recorded two. Prevatt was 2 for 5 while Vogel was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
"Prevatt did a good job in the start today and Vogel hustled and beat out a couple of infield hits," Curry said.
The Trojans were struck out 15 times compared to the Jags' four.
"Overall for the weekend, we battled and played a very good team," Curry said. "We had three one-run games and had a hit here and there. We could have easily won all three, but in Divsion I baseball it comes down to one play, one hit or one pitch. We didn't execute on Saturday and Sunday, and give South Alabama credit because they did. That's the overall story of where we're at right now playing the teams we're playing in the first three series. With South Alabama, Lafayette and Troy, there's not a lot of margin for error against those guys. There's effort and intensity, but it just comes down to execution."
UALR will return to action at Wichita State for a single midweek game on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
