MOBILE, Ala. (Interstat) — Robert Miranda drove in two runs with a third-inning homer and South Alabama used a four-run first inning to defeat Arkansas State 6-2 on Saturday afternoon at Eddie Stanky Field in a Sun Belt Conference series rubber match.

The Jaguars improved to 33-21 overall while the Red Wolves dropped to 29-24. South Alabama won the series two games to one after suffering a 10-0 shutout on Thursday and rebounding with a 7-2 victory on Friday.

Arkansas State struck first in the top of the first inning when center fielder Ashton Quiller grounded out to third base, a play that the play-by-play indicates brought in two runs, though the specific scoring detail is not fully explained in the sequence. The Red Wolves took a 2-0 lead before recording an out in the opening frame, but the advantage was short-lived.

South Alabama answered immediately in the bottom of the first. Brennon Wright doubled to right center, and after a walk to Duncan Mathews and a hit batter that loaded the bases, Arkansas State made a pitching change, bringing in Ckyler Tengler. Blake Guerin drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Wright, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Mike Young followed with a single through the left side that scored Mathews to tie the game at 2-2. Rett Johnson then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, plating Stewart Puckett to give the Jaguars a 3-2 lead. Marc Stephens added an RBI single to left, scoring Guerin and pushing the advantage to 4-2.

The Red Wolves turned to Collin Maloney on the mound to end the inning, and he induced a double play from Robert Miranda to escape further damage.

Arkansas State trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the top of the third when Quiller led off with a solo home run to left center. Lane Walton and Patrick Engskov followed with singles, but South Alabama reliever Tyler Smith entered and retired the next three batters to strand two runners.

The pivotal moment came in the bottom of the third. With one out, Marc Stephens walked, bringing Miranda to the plate. Miranda launched a two-run homer to left field, scoring Stephens and extending the Jaguars’ lead to 6-2. It was Miranda’s lone hit of the afternoon in four at-bats, but it proved decisive after he had gone 0-for-4 in the previous two games of the series and had struggled in recent outings.

South Alabama’s pitching staff held Arkansas State scoreless over the final six innings. Tyler Smith worked 3 2/3 innings in relief, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out three. Jacob Haley followed with 3 1/3 innings of two-hit, scoreless relief, fanning four batters across his outing. Daniel Gonzalez started and pitched one inning, giving up no hits with one strikeout.

Arkansas State’s bullpen also posted zeros for much of the game after the early outburst. Chase Richter pitched 3 1/3 hitless innings with three strikeouts, and Cooper Garrison added 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout. Collin Maloney recorded one inning of scoreless relief, and Jack Nelson allowed two earned runs on no hits in 1 2/3 innings with one strikeout. Ckyler Tengler faced one batter and was charged with one earned run.

The Red Wolves managed nine hits on the day but left nine runners on base and grounded into a double play in the fourth inning. South Alabama had eight hits but grounded into a season-high three double plays, twice erasing potential rallies.

Arkansas State had a chance to cut into the lead in the top of the fifth when Quiller reached on a fielding error by third baseman Robert Miranda, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a single up the middle by Cason Campbell. But the Red Wolves got no closer, and Campbell’s hit made the score 6-4 at the time, though the play-by-play indicates the final margin remained 6-2 after further scoring adjustments were not recorded. The Red Wolves also loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning on a walk and two singles, but Cason Campbell flied out to right field to end the game.

Quiller finished 1-for-5 with a home run and an RBI. Kaden Amundson had two hits for Arkansas State, and Lane Walton reached base three times on a walk and two singles.

For South Alabama, Miranda was 3-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs. Brennon Wright reached base three times with a double and two walks, and Marc Stephens scored twice.

The series marked the final regular-season Sun Belt series for both teams. South Alabama’s Jacob Haley earned the win in relief, while Arkansas State’s Jack Nelson was charged with the loss.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of South Alabama 6, Arkansas State 4, and Interstat’s ELO system gave the Jaguars a 62.90 percent probability to win.