Five South Alabama pitchers combined to allow two hits in a 3-2 victory over North Alabama in the South Alabama Invitational on Friday night at Stanky Field.

Tyler Borges’ bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the eighth inning provided the winning margin for the Jaguars, who won their season-opener after finishing 2023 with 10 straight losses. Gant Starling, a transfer from The Citadel making his USA debut, retired the Lions (0-1) in order in the top of the ninth to close out the victory.

UNA took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on Leighton Jenkins’ 2-run double off South Alabama starter Cade Carlson, who allowed one hit and four walks in four innings. However, the Jaguars’ bullpen of Logan Wash, Leif Moore, Seth Carter and Starling (1-0) shut the Lions out the rest of the way.

South Alabama tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, getting its first run when Borges — who had tripled — and Joseph Sullivan executed a delayed double-steal. Robbie Petracci later drove in Sullivan with a double to make it 2-2.

That’s where the scoring stood until the eighth, when JG Bell and Brennan Holt delivered back-to-back singles and Ryan Storey walked to load the bases. One out later, Borges walked to bring home the eventual winning run.

UNA starter Jacob James allowed two runs on six hits in five innings, striking out 11. Reliver Brycen Parrish (0-1) took the loss, giving up a run on two hits with three walks and six strikeouts in three innings.

Tournament action continues Saturday, with North Alabama facing Southern Indiana at noon and South Alabama taking on Lamar at 6:30 p.m.

Troy 9, SIU-Edwardsville 8 (10 innings)

Tremayne Cobb delivered a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning as the Trojans won their season-opener at Riddle-Pace Field.

Cobb’s big hit came after Shane Lewis led off the bottom of the 10th with a triple to right. The Trojans’ shortstop followed by slashing a 2-1 pitch from Lucas Spence up the middle to drive in the winning run.

Troy (1-0) trailed 8-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Trojans catcher Blake Sutton, a High Point transfer, cut the lead to 8-6 with a long home run to right field after Cobb had doubled.

Cobb — who finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored — also doubled home Ethan Kavanagh in the eighth to make it 8-7. The Trojans tied the game in the ninth on Brooks Bryan’s pinch-hit double.

Noah Manning (1-0) picked up the win for Troy with a scoreless 10th, including a pair of strikeouts. Trojans starter Grayson Stewart, the preseason Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year, allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Kyle Ratliff homered twice and drove in three in a losing cause for SIUE (0-1). Spence, the fourth of four Cougars pitchers, took the loss with two runs allowed on four hits and two walks in an inning-plus.

The teams continue the series with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, then will play a single game at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Jax State 6, Memphis 5 (13 innings)

Brennan Norton ripped a solo homer in the bottom of the 13th inning on Friday, giving new Gamecocks coach Steve Bieser a walk-off win in his debut.

The Gamecocks (1-0) rallied from down 5-1, scoring three in the sixth and one in the eighth. Bear Madliak’s two-out RBI single tied the game, and would be the last run for either team for another five innings.

JSU reliever Ethan Adkison worked around a two-out error with three strikeouts in the top of the 13th, and Memphis’ Jake Curtis retired the first Gamecocks hitter in the bottom of the inning. Norton, however, smashed the first pitch he saw over the left field wall at Jim Case Field for the victory.

Norton, a junior from Cullman, had two hits and scored twice in the game for JSU. Caleb Johnson had a triple and scored twice, while Gabe Young went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and two runs scored.

Seth Cox hit a 3-run homer in the sixth to lead the way for Memphis, which falls to 0-1. Brennan DuBose added a 2-run single for the Tigers.

Jacksonville State used seven pitchers in the game, the last five of which shut out the Tigers on one hit over the final six innings. Adkison (1-0) got all six of his outs on strikeouts in the 12th and 13th, while Kyle Chastine pitched 2 2/3 hitless innings with five strikeouts.

Curtis (0-1) took the loss for Memphis, allowing a run in 3 1/3 innings. Tigers starter David Warren gave up just one run on three hits in five innings.

The teams play again at 2 p.m. Saturday.