BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — Southern scored five runs in the first inning on a series of hits, walks and a crucial error, then held off Texas Southern for a 6-4 victory Friday evening in the Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball championship at Regions Field.

The Jaguars, now 26-22, used a seven-pitcher combination to overcome 11 walks and an 8-hit attack by the Tigers. Texas Southern fell to 19-23 and was eliminated from the double-elimination tournament.

Southern’s five-run first inning began with a double by Ryan Hunter and a bunt single by KJ White Jr., who stole second. After a walk to Jaylon Lucky, Jacoby Radcliffe reached on a fielder’s choice that saw Hunter score on a throwing error by the catcher. Kameron Byrd walked with the bases loaded to force in White, and Kenyon Hughes singled to drive in Lucky. Donny Sandifer followed with a sacrifice fly to score Radcliffe, and after a strikeout and a walk, a wild pitch allowed Byrd to score, making it 5-0.

Texas Southern answered in the third. Elijah Rodriguez singled and Shaun Williams walked. Christopher Chavez walked to load the bases, and Nate Lopez’s sacrifice fly scored Rodriguez. Anthony Ruiz then hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Williams on a throwing error by the third baseman, cutting the deficit to 5-2.

The Tigers tied the game in the fifth. Chavez singled and advanced on a groundout. Ruiz singled to drive in Chavez, and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-3. But Southern responded immediately in the bottom of the fifth. Xavier Bradley doubled and Hunter singled, putting runners at the corners. After a bunt popout and a stolen base, Joshua Prieto relieved Dalton Alford and escaped the jam by striking out Radcliffe.

The decisive moment came in the seventh. With Prieto still on the mound, Bradley reached on a throwing error by the shortstop. Ryan Hunter reached on a fielder’s choice with an error by the third baseman, allowing Bradley to go to third. KJ White Jr. walked to load the bases, and Jaylon Lucky grounded into a double play that scored Bradley unearned, giving Southern a 6-3 lead.

Texas Southern trimmed the margin in the eighth. Tanner Marek walked, and after two strikeouts, Elijah Rodriguez walked. Shaun Williams singled to drive in Marek, making it 6-4. But reliever Caleb Ellis stranded the tying runs with a flyout to center field. Ellis earned the win with three innings of two-hit relief, striking out three while allowing one earned run.

Southern’s bullpen, which also included Genesis Prosper (three innings, three hits, one run) and Daniel McIntosh (three innings, three hits, one run), combined to limit the Tigers after the fifth. Alford and Prieto each threw scoreless relief for Texas Southern, combining for seven innings with no hits and five strikeouts, but the damage from the first inning proved insurmountable.

White finished 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base, and Hughes went 2-for-4 with a run batted in. For Texas Southern, Ruiz went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Chavez added two hits. The Tigers left 10 runners on base and committed four errors, three of which led to unearned runs.

Southern will advance to face Florida A&M in the championship round, having defeated Jackson State and lost to Florida A&M earlier in the tournament. Texas Southern’s season ends with a loss in the semifinals after defeating Jackson State the previous day. The two teams split a head-to-head series earlier this season, with Texas Southern winning 15-13 in February.