MOBILE, Ala. (February 16, 2024) – The University of North Alabama baseball team fell to South Alabama in heartbreaking fashion, 3-2, on Friday in Mobile, Ala. The Lions got out to an early 2-0 lead, but a late push by the Jaguars would put a damper on the UNA season opener.  
 
The early frames served as a pitcher's duel with UNA's Jacob James and South Alabama starting pitcher Cade Carlson each dealing three scoreless innings. The pair would combine for 16 punchouts in just nine innings pitched combined. 
 
Kyle Machado, Gehrig Frei and Andrew Knight would each draw walks in the top of the fourth inning to help load the bases for the Lions. East Central Community College transfer Leighton Jenkins stepped up to the plate and put UNA on the board first with a two-run double.
 
The Jaguars would strike back just an inning later as Tyler Borges would lead the bottom half off with a triple followed by a Joseph Sullivan walk. With runners on the corners and nobody out, South Alabama executed a double steal to score their first run of the season. Designated hitter Robbie Petracci would even the game up at two with an RBI double. 
 
Jacob James exited the game after five frames with 11 strikeouts, six hits, two walks and two earned runs. The southpaw finished his outing just one strikeout away from tying his career-high and the UNA Division I era record of 12 strikeouts set last year at Central Arkansas on March 18.  
 
Local product Brycen Parrish came to the relief of James in the sixth inning, throwing two perfect frames in the sixth and seventh. After a strikeout to open the inning, back-to-back singles from JG Bell and Brennan Holt, along with a walk from Ryan Storey, would load the bases. Catcher Duncan Matthews would draw a walk to push the go-ahead run across the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
Jackson Ferrigno tallied a single and a walk, extending his reached base streak from last season to 28 games — just three shy of tying Luke Harper for the Division I program record of 31. 

Despite the loss, the Lions tallied 16 strikeouts on the mound, tying the Division I single-game program record previously set on March 19, 2019 against Tennessee Tech and March 5, 2022 against UT Martin.
 
Pitchers of Record
W – Gant Starling (1-0)
L – Brycen Parrish (0-1)
S – None
 
COMING UP NEXT
 
The Lions return to action tomorrow at noon with a matchup against Southern Indiana. USI fell to Lamar 4-2 earlier on Friday. 

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.