SOUTHERN SCORES THREE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH TO DEFEAT PRAIRIE VIEW :: Mario Spann's two-out, two RBI double slams the door to complete comeback!

	Mario Spann had a two-out, two RBI walk-off double to defeta Prairie View A&M, 8-7

March 27, 2006

Box Score

The Southern Jaguars scored three runs on three hits in bottom of the ninth inning for thrilling come from behind victory over Prairie View A&M, 8-7, Sunday at Lee-Hines Baseball Field on the Southern University campus.

The win moves Southern (10-11, 8-4 SWACW) into a two-way with Texas Southern (8-4 SWACW), and one game behind Prairie View (20-10, 9-3 SWACW) at the conferences' midway point.

Freshman pitcher, Derek Hill (2-0), picked up the win for Southern, while Fernando Almaguer (3-3) suffered the loss for Prairie View.

Left fielder, Mario Spann, was the hitting star of the day for Southern, going 3-for-5 with three RBI's and two runs scored. Second baseman, Gene Filyaw, went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one runs scored and designated hitter, Darren Clark, went 2-for-5 with one RBI and one runs scored.

The SU Jaguars started quickly, with two runs in the first inning, sparked by a Darren Clark double that scored Demarcus Coats and Brandon Revis.

Coats got into the RBI column with a fielder's choice in the second inning, scoring Mario Spann.

SU scored two more times in the bottom of the fourth, sparked by a Spann triple. Taylor Spriggs, knocked him in on a fielder's choice, and eventually made his way around the basepaths scoring on a passed ball.

Prairie View chipped into the SU lead with three runs in the fifth, and one in the seventh, and eventually took the lead in the eighth, scoring three more times.

The drama that set up the fireworks started in the Southern Jaguars bottom of the 9th inning. Trailing 7-5, Scott Williamson walked to start the inning. Right fielder, Gerard Gause flied out to deep left field for the first out of the inning. Darren Clark, then on a 1-1 count, lined a pitch to deep left center field advancing, Williamson to second base. Gene Filyaw stepped to the plate and hit a hard line drive to left center field, scoring Williamson, and moving the Jaguars to within one run at 7-6.

Prairie View's coach, Michael Robertson had deen enough and went to the bullpen once again. Fernando Almaguer replaced Joshua Terrell, with one out and runners on first and second, with lefty Roydrick Merritt coming to the plate for SU. Almaguer was able to induce Merritt to fly out to center field, but not deep enough to move the runners.

Up stepped Mario Spann, already 2-for-4 on the day with two runs scored. Spann hit an Almaguer pitch deep down the right field line and into the corner scoring both Clark and Filyaw, who hustled hard to score from first base, igniting a mad celebration at home plate, as the raucous Southern crowd cheered in victory.

Southern's game versus Loyola of New Orleans, schedule for Wedneday, had been canceled and wsill not be made up. The Jags will host Jackson State on Saturday, at 1:00 p.m. at Lee-Hines Baseball Field on the Southern Unviersity campus.