South Alabama baseball pounds out 12-5 win over Kansas State

South Alabama outfielder Dylan Hardy (2) homered and doubled in a 12-5 victory over Kansas State on Friday. (Mike Kittrell/AL.com)

South Alabama pounded out 18 hits to spark a 12-5 season-opening victory over Kansas State Friday in the 19th Annual Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The 17th-ranked Jaguars (1-0) trailed 5-4 after five innings before erupting for four runs each in the sixth and seventh innings. Paul Russo's two-run single in the sixth put USA up for good.

Russo, Dylan Hardy, Wells Davis and freshman Andrew Bates each had three hits for South Alabama, while Davis drove in three. Hardy homered and doubled, drove in a run, scored two and added a stolen base.

Russo, Donovan, Davis and redshirt freshman Michael Sandle added doubles for the Jaguars. Preseason All-American Travis Swaggerty went 1-for-4 with two walks and three runs scored.

USA's Zach Greene (1-0) picked up the win with 3.1 scoreless innings in relief of starter Andy Arguelles, who allowed five runs in 2.2 innings. Chase Lambert added two shutout innings, with freshman JoJo Booker working a 1-2-3 ninth to end the game.

"I thought we gave away some at-bats early in the game," South Alabama coach Mark Calvi said. "But our guys settled in and got into their at-bats a little more the second time through. We had chances to score some more runs; we left some men out there early, but when you walk some and get some hits then you are going to leave some guys on base. I was really proud of the way our guys responded from the fourth inning on, especially out of the bullpen."

Kansas State relieve Luke Hauswirth took the loss, allowing two runs in one inning. Catcher TK McWhertor led the Wildcats at the plate with two hits, a homer and four RBIs.

South Alabama returns to the field at 10 a.m. Saturday against Oklahoma. The Jaguars face Virginia Tech at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, then finish tournament play against No. 20 Indiana at 10 a.m. Sunday.

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