MOBILE, Ala. (Interstat) — Nate Johnson drove in six runs and fell a double short of the cycle, leading a dominant offensive performance as the Tulane Green Wave routed the South Alabama Jaguars 15-2 in a nonconference baseball game Wednesday at Eddie Stanky Field.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, was a stark reversal of pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had forecast a tight 8-7 Tulane victory, while its ELO system gave the Jaguars a 54.7% probability to win. Instead, Tulane’s pitchers combined to allow just one hit while the Green Wave offense capitalized on 13 walks and three hit batters to pull away decisively.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the top of the sixth inning, turning a comfortable lead into a blowout. Leading 3-0, Tulane sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 12 runs on just four hits, taking advantage of five walks and a hit batter. The inning lasted nearly an hour and saw three South Alabama pitchers struggle to find the strike zone.

Johnson, the Green Wave third baseman, was the catalyst. He ignited the rally with a three-run homer to right field, his third hit of the day. Later in the same inning, with the bases loaded, he was hit by a pitch to force in another run. Johnson finished 3 for 3 with a single, triple, home run, six RBIs and two runs scored.

James Agabedis provided the exclamation point to the marathon frame, launching a grand slam to right-center field to cap the 12-run outburst. Agabedis finished with four RBIs. Right fielder Jason Wachs also drove in four runs, three coming on a bases-clearing single during the sixth-inning surge.

On the mound, Tulane’s staff was nearly untouchable. Starter Jack Brafa set the tone with 3 1/3 hitless innings, striking out three. Reliever J.D. Rodriguez followed with 2 2/3 innings of hitless ball, allowing one unearned run. The Jaguars did not record their first and only hit until the bottom of the seventh inning, when pinch-hitter Nick Richardson lined a two-run single through the right side to avoid the shutout.

South Alabama starter Zach Stevens was effective early, allowing two runs on two hits over three innings while striking out five. But the Jaguars’ bullpen faltered, combining to allow 13 runs over the next three innings. Will Sparks, the first reliever, was charged with one run over two innings, while the trio of J. Middleton, B. Hendricks and K. Graham failed to record an out in the disastrous sixth.

The victory evened both teams’ season records at 6-3. Tulane bounced back from an 11-3 loss at New Orleans on Tuesday, while South Alabama saw a three-game winning streak snapped following a 9-7 victory at Southeastern Louisiana.

Tulane next hosts Eastern Kentucky for a three-game series starting Friday. South Alabama welcomes West Georgia for a three-game set beginning the same day.