DAPHNE, Ala. — Xavier University of Louisiana split a baseball doubleheader Saturday with the United States Sports Academy, winning the second game 9-5 after the Eagles won 6-5.
        Both games went seven innings. USSA (5-1), a first-year program, won the series two games to one.
        Next for XULA (1-2) will be a three-game Red River Athletic Conference series at LSU-Alexandria: 5 p.m. Friday, then a noon Saturday doubleheader.

Game 2
        •  The Gold Rush never trailed — it was 6-0 through 2 1/2 innings — and gave Xavier Paul his first victory as XULA's head coach.
        •  Cohen Boyd, Lawrence Steed and Chase DeLoach accounted for all the Gold Rush RBIs. Boyd and Steed drove in three runs apiece, and DeLoach had two.
        •  Boyd and Zion Morris had two hits apiece. Alan Velez and Syr Bailey walked twice apiece. Boyd hit a three-run double during a four-run second inning.
        •  The Eagles cut XULA's lead to 6-4 in the third inning, but DeLoach's two-run double keyed a two-run fourth that made it 9-4.
        •  Reliever Colby Henderson was the winner. He pitched the final four innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out four.
        •  USSA left fielder Hayden Jones went 3-for-4 to raise his batting average to .545. Jones was 7-for-12 in the XULA series and produced at least one hit and one RBI in all six games.

Game 1
        •  The Gold Rush lost despite leads of 2-0 and 5-2. It was the second straight game that XULA did not hold a multiple-run lead.
        •  The Eagles won with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Pinch runner Connor Fitzner scored the winner when Joseph Monaghan was hit by a bases-loaded pitch.
        •  Alex Crews and Velez had two hits apiece. Crews had run-scoring singles in the fifth and seventh innings.
        •  XULA starting pitcher Hunter Wheaton allowed two runs, both unearned, in five innings. Wheaton struck out four and allowed two hits and three walks.