FLORENCE, Ala. (February 24, 2024) – The University of North Alabama baseball team tallied its second victory of the season behind a nine-run performance from the UNA offense and a quality start from senior left-hander Jacob James in a 9-6 win over Morehead State on Saturday in Florence. 

The Lions improve to 2-4 on the season, while the Eagles fall to 3-3 moving into the series finale Sunday.

Dane Sykes took the mound in the top of the ninth with two runners on, nobody out and the tying run on deck and notched a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to thwart a Morehead State comeback attempt. This marked his first save at UNA.

The Lions were leading 9-2 heading into the final frame before the Eagles strung together a walk, hit by pitch and four consecutive hits to open up the inning. Sykes would make his first bullpen appearance of the season and escape the jam with limited damage. 

North Alabama starting pitcher Jacob James earned his first victory of the season to move to 1-0. James struck out six batters in six innings while only allowing two hits and no runs. The senior surpassed Brock Hunton for fifth place on the UNA all-time strikeout list and now has 195 career punchouts. The southpaw has now struck out 17 batters in just nine innings over two starts. 

The Lions opened the floodgates with a two-out rally in the second inning. Following two quick outs, Andrew Knight walked and Alex Wilson roped a double down the left field line to put a pair in scoring position. Freshman Bryant Loving reached on an error in his first career plate appearance to give UNA a quick 1-0 lead. 

A wild pitch scored Wilson in the next at-bat before catcher Levi Jensen drove a two-run home run to right center field for his first hit of the season. Jackson Ferrigno followed up with a single and came around to score on a Jonathan Lane double, ending the second frame at 5-0. 

Three innings passed without any scoring as James and Morehead starting pitcher Grant Herron dueled into the sixth inning. Herron made a brief appearance in the sixth inning, allowing a double to Knight and walking Wilson before the Eagles made the first call to the bullpen of the day. 

A Bryant Loving walk loaded the bases for a Levi Jensen hit by pitch and a subsequent sacrifice fly from Jackson Ferrigno, pushing the UNA lead to seven after six frames. 

Anthony Pingeton relieved James in the seventh and allowed a pair of softly hit singles before striking out the side. Jensen picked up his fourth RBI of the evening after bringing home Andrew Knight on a single up the middle. 

A trio of singles would load the bases for Morehead State in the eighth, and the Eagles brought home two on a fielder's choice and an error to make the score 9-2. 

Pingeton would be relieved in the ninth by Carson Howard. The Eagles made a last ditch effort in the ninth, with the first six batters reaching base. Morehead State scored four runs before Sykes retired three consecutive batters to end the game.

Following the game, James sits just 12 strikeouts away from tying Trey Mitchell for fourth place on the all-time UNA strikeout list and just 16 strikeouts away from holding sole possession of second place on the list. 


Pitchers of Record
W – Jacob James (1-0)
L – Grant Herron (0-1)
S – Dane Sykes (1)
 
COMING UP NEXT
 
The two teams settle the series on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. in Florence.


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