MOBILE, Ala. (Interstat) — South Alabama used a three-run third inning and a three-run seventh to defeat Arkansas State 7-2 on Friday night at Eddie Stanky Field, evening the Sun Belt Conference series after the Red Wolves had shut out the Jaguars a night earlier.

Starter Jaxon Shineflew worked five innings for South Alabama, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out six. He earned the win, improving the Jaguars to 32-21 overall and 16-12 in league play. The Red Wolves fell to 29-23 and 15-13.

Arkansas State struck first in the top of the second inning when right fielder Evan Griffis homered to left-center field, giving the Red Wolves a 1-0 lead. The margin held until the bottom of the third, when South Alabama erupted for three runs on three hits.

Ethan Melton led off with a double to left-center and advanced to third on a throwing error by Arkansas State pitcher Andrew Allen on a failed pickoff attempt. After a strikeout, Stewart Puckett crushed a 2-0 pitch over the right-center field wall, scoring Melton and tying the game 2-2. Blake Guerin followed with a single, and Mike Young tripled down the right-field line to drive in Guerin, giving South Alabama a 3-2 lead.

That advantage grew in the bottom of the fourth. Marc Stephens led off by homering to left-center, pushing the Jaguars’ lead to 4-2. He finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs.

The Red Wolves trimmed the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the sixth. Lane Walton walked, advanced to third on a single by Cason Campbell and scored on a double to right field by Derek Martinez. But that was as close as Arkansas State would get. South Alabama reliever Zach Stevens, who replaced Shineflew to start the sixth, allowed four hits and one earned run over four innings while striking out two to earn the save.

South Alabama broke the game open in the seventh. Duncan Mathews doubled to lead off, and after a strikeout, the Jaguars loaded the bases on a walk to Young and another walk to Rett Johnson. Stephens then walked to force in Mathews, and Paxton Bigby walked to force in Young, making it 6-3. The Jaguars added another run in the eighth when Blake Guerin singled to left-center, scoring Brennon Wright, who had singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout.

Arkansas State managed only seven hits in the game. In addition to Griffis’s home run, Campbell had two singles and Martinez doubled. The Red Wolves stranded six runners. For South Alabama, Young went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a triple, Guerin had two hits and an RBI, and Wright singled twice. The Jaguars outhit the Red Wolves 14-7.

South Alabama’s bullpen was effective. Cooper Garrison pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for Arkansas State, allowing no hits and striking out one. But the Red Wolves used five pitchers total, and the combination of walks and timely hitting hurt them.

The game marked a reversal from Thursday, when Arkansas State had beaten South Alabama 10-0 in the series opener. The two teams are scheduled to play the series finale Saturday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of South Alabama 6, Arkansas State 3, and its ELO system gave the Jaguars a 64.50 percent probability to win.