South Alabama flushed away memories of a terrible 2023 season with a perfect weekend to open 2024.

The Jaguars went 4-0 at the South Alabama Invitational at Stanky Field, beating North Alabama 3-2 on Friday, Lamar 7-1 on Saturday and then sweeping a pair of games from Southern Indiana, 5-3 on Sunday and 11-0 in seven innings on Monday. The tournament marked the beginning a stretch of 13 straight home games to open the season for Mark Calvi and USA.

In Friday’s game, the Jaguars erased a 2-0 deficit with two runs in the fifth, then won it on Tyler Borges’ bases-loaded walk in the eighth. Relief pitcher Gant Starling picked up the win by getting the final four outs for South Alabama.

On Saturday, Brennan Holt’s two-run homer in the second gave the Jaguars an early lead. Auburn transfer Carson Swilling got the win, allowing just an unearned run on three hits with seven strikeouts in five innings.

The Jaguars also rallied for the victory on Sunday, scoring three in the bottom of the seventh. Robbie Petracci’s two-run homer was the key blow for South Alabama.

In Monday’s tournament finale, Borges drove in three with an RBI single in the second and a two-run single in the seventh as the Jaguars won a laugher. Leif Moore pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings to get the win for South Alabama.

South Alabama hosts Southeastern Louisiana for a single game at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, then hosts Jacksonville State for three beginning on Friday. Weekend game times are 6:30 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Troy goes 3-1 vs. SIUE, averages 12.5 runs per game

The Trojans broke out the big bats all weekend, scoring a total of 50 runs in a four-game set with Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at Riddle-Pace Field.

Troy beat the Cougars 9-8 in 10 innings on Friday night, then won Saturday’s early game 24-13 and Sunday’s game 11-0 in seven innings. The lone loss came 7-6 late Saturday.

Trojans first baseman Will Butcher, a Charlotte transfer, had an incredible debut weekend with his new team. Butcher went 9-for-16 with five doubles, a home run and 15 RBIs, driving in nine in the 24-13 win on Saturday.

Center fielder Kole Myers had a huge weekend as well, scoring 11 runs and going 8-for-14 with three homers and seven walks. Tremayne Cobb drove in six runs, including the game-winner with a 10th-inning single on Friday night.

In Saturday’s early game, Butcher had four hits in addition to his 9 RBIs, while Ethan Kavanaugh scored six runs. Shane Lewis went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and three driven in (including a two-run homer), while Myers scored four times.

Myers homered three times in Saturday’s late game, the lone Trojans loss of the weekend. Butcher hit a grand slam and drove in five on Sunday, while Kyle Mock added a two-run shot as Troy won by 10-run rule in seven innings.

Troy is at Florida A&M at 3 p.m. Tuesday before hosting Harvard for three games beginning Friday. Game times are 6 p.m. Friday, 3:33 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.

Jax State wins 2 of 3 vs. Memphis, with 2 walk-off homers

The Gamecocks began the Steve Bieser era with a series victory over the Tigers, 6-5 on Friday night, losing 7-4 on Saturday and winning 13-9 on Sunday at Jim Case Stadium.

Both wins came in extra innings, and both on walk-off homers. Jax State held Memphis scoreless over the final six innings Friday, setting up Brennan Norton’s walk-off homer in the bottom of the 13th.

The Gamecocks could not overcome a big Tigers rally in the middle innings Saturday, though Derrick Jackson hit a solo home run and Bear Madliak drove in a pair of runs.

Sunday’s series finale was another wild comeback for JSU, which trailed 9-2 heading to the bottom of the eighth. Hudson Walburn’s three-run homer and Jackson’s two-run double pulled the Gamecocks within two in the eighth, then Caleb Johnson’s RBI double and a Memphis error tied the game in the ninth.

After Will Baker held the Tigers scoreless in the top of the 10th, Johnson was the hero in the bottom of the inning. A single and two walks loaded the bases with two outs, then Johnson launched a 3-2 pitch over the left-field wall for a walk-off grand slam and a series victory for the Gamecocks.

Jax State is on the road for four games this week: at Samford at 4 p.m. Tuesday, then three at South Alabama beginning Friday.