JACOBS FIELD | MOBILE, Ala. - The University of Mobile Baseball team impressed over the weekend in the first games played at Jacobs Field during the 2024 season, sweeping the UT-Southern (Tenn.) Firehawks across a three-game series. Mobile and UT-Southern opened the weekend set with a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 23, while concluding the series with an afternoon game on Saturday, Feb. 24. Offense was on display for both sides as each team scored at least five runs in all three games played.
Mobile's sweep is the Rams' first of the year, improving the overall record to 4-6 and 4-2 in the SSAC.
Series Recap
- Game One - Mobile 8, UT-Southern 6 - 7 Innings
UT-Southern opened the series on Friday afternoon with four runs across the first three innings of game one, putting Mobile behind early in the home opener for the Rams. After a scoreless first two innings against the Firehawks, the Mobile bats caught fire in the bottom of the third as the Rams pushed across six runs to grab the lead. Sam Bowman highlighted the inning with a grand slam to tie the game, while Sam Mansell drove in two for the lead with a single to center field.
UT-Southern responded in the top of the fourth with one run, later adding a game-tying run in the top of the sixth off a bases-loaded walk. Tied 6-6, Mobile grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the sixth when J.T. Lastorka doubled home Jaron Harris. Jackson Breal later drove in an insurance run with a single to left field to give the Rams a two-run lead. Being the first game of a doubleheader, game one was a scheduled seven inning game and saw Mobile record a scoreless seventh to take game one of the series. Matthew Holston was credited with the save on the mound after tossing a scoreless frame to close things out.
Sam Bowman led the team with his four RBIs off the grand slam, while J.T. Lastorka finished 3-for-4 at the plate. Mobile used four pitchers, with Jacob Davis pitching three innings from out of the bullpen, allowing just one run off three hits. Nate Anderson was credited with the win on the bump with 1/3 of an inning pitched in top of the sixth. As a team, Mobile out-hit the Firehawks, 9-7.
- Game Two - Mobile 10, UT-Southern 5
In the nightcap on Friday, it was Mobile that started quick at the plate, pushing across two runs through the first two innings. Sam Bowman continued his strong day with an RBI groundout to start the scoring in the first, followed by an RBI double by newcomer Peyton Bell in the second inning.
Fast forward to the middle innings and UT-Southern was able to find their offense after four scoreless frames. The Firehawks scored one run in the fifth, later taking the lead with a three-run seventh inning in the nine-inning game two. Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth, Mobile put together another big inning on the offensive side, scoring a whopping eight runs as the Rams batted around. J.T. Lastorka opened the inning with a solo home run. From there, the UT-Southern pitching staff struggled to record outs as Mobile continued to score add-on runs. Down 10-4, the Firehawks managed to get one run back in the ninth inning, but Mobile's Landon Moore shut the inning down quickly after as Mobile grabbed a 10-5 win.
Landon Moore finished as the winning pitcher for Mobile in game two on Friday night, tossing three innings and allowing just one run off three hits. Starting pitcher Trey Watson finished with six innings of work, striking out four.
At the plate, both teams tallied 10 hits each, but the Firehawks committed five errors in the ballgame. Four of Mobile's 10 runs went down as unearned runs for the UT-Southern pitching staff. Cameron Brock finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs as Mobile's top five in the lineup finished with nine of Mobile's 10 hits.
- Game Three - Mobile 9, UT-Southern 8
Attempting to avoid the series sweep, UT-Southern opened the series finale on Saturday afternoon with a solo home run to start the game. However, Mobile immediately responded in the bottom half of the first inning, with Sam Bowman recording his second home run of the series. Bowman's homer came in the form of a two-run shot to give the Rams the lead. One inning later, Bowman continued his hot weekend with a bases-clearing triple to left center field, giving him a total of five RBIs in two innings during the series finale. Mobile later added two more runs in the second and had the lead entering the middle innings, 7-1.
UT-Southern scored three runs through the fourth and fifth innings, while Mobile added two more runs in the fourth following an error by the Firehawks' defense following a single by Blake Clonts. From there, the bats went quiet for Mobile following the fourth inning, with the Rams leading 9-4 entering the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, UT-Southern began the comeback and pushed across four runs to make the deficit just one run in favor of Mobile. However, the Mobile pitching staff shut the comeback down and Mobile eventually earned a 9-8 victory for the first series sweep of the 2024 campaign.
Sam Bowman highlighted the day on Saturday, while highlighting the series in general, finishing 2-for-5 at the dish in the series finale with his five runs batted in. Bowman finished the weekend set with 10 RBIs total across three games.
Return to the Road
Coming off a big weekend, the Rams are scheduled for a non-conference doubleheader against Faulkner University (Ala.) this upcoming Tuesday, Feb. 27, battling the Eagles at 1:00 p.m. CT in Montgomery, Ala. The meeting with Faulkner on Tuesday is the first of three series this season against the area rival located two and a half hours north on I-65.
FOLLOW THE RAMS
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About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
