by MOBILE, Ala. – Kevin Hill (Muscogee Creek Nation) tossed his third complete game of the season to lead the No. 28 University of South Alabama baseball team to an 8-2 series-opening win over Arkansas State Friday at Stanky Field.
Hill (7-1) allowed two runs and scattered eight hits, and struck out nine batters without issuing a walk to earn his seventh win of the season. The win also extended USA’s Sun Belt Conference winning streak to 13 games.
“We have gotten used to that out of Kevin,” USA head coach Mark Calvi said. “He sets the tone on Friday, and he was really good again; he was a really good version of himself and that’s what we needed to start the series off. He gives us that effort every single time.”
“I just got ahead (in the count) and got the leadoff guy out,” Hill said. “I just threw as many strikes early on as I could. We feed off of each other. The pitchers have confidence in the defense, and when the hitters are rolling then we’re rolling as well.”
Cole Billingsley gave the Jaguars a one-run lead in the bottom of the first when he lifted a 3-1 pitch from ASU right-hander Tyler Zuber over the right field wall for a solo home run while also extending his hitting streak to 14 games.
South Alabama (23-8, 13-0 SBC) added five runs to its lead in the bottom of the second. Brendan Donovan and Jared Barnes reached on consecutive one-out singles, and Ben Gann followed with an RBI single to left field to score Donovan and double the Jaguar lead at 2-0. A single to center field by Adam Wolfe loaded the bases for Travis Swaggerty, who reached on an RBI infield single to first base that scored Barnes and extended the USA lead to 3-0. Billingsley followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Gann and push the Jag lead to four runs. LaBounty then singled to right field to score Wolfe and Swaggerty for a 6-0 USA advantage.
USA added its final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Wolfe reached on a two-base throwing error by ASU third baseman Joe Schrimpf to lead off the inning, and moved to third on a throwing error by Zuber on a failed pickoff attempt at second base. Swaggerty followed with an RBI double to the left-center gap to score Wolfe and push the Jaguar lead to 7-0. A groundout to second by Billingsley moved Swaggerty to third with one out. LaBounty followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Swaggerty for an 8-0 USA lead.
ASU (13-16, 4-9 SBC) answered with its only runs of the game in the top of the seventh on a one-out RBI double down the left field line by Jeremy Brown to cut the Jaguar lead to 8-1. Garrett Rucker followed with an RBI single to center field to cut the ASU deficit to 8-2.
Barnes went 3-for-4 with one run scored to lead the Jaguars at the plate. Swaggerty finished 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored, LaBounty added a hit and three RBI and Billingsley finished with one home run, two RBI and one run scored. Brown and Schrimpf went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI apiece to lead the Red Wolves offensively.
“The game’s that scare me the most are the ones where you jump ahead early,” Calvi said. “There is a lot of time left and there are swings within the game. I knew they (Arkansas State) were going to have their shot, because they don’t quit. It was good to see Cole Billingsley come up and hit one deep. It was really good to see the top-third of our lineup produce today.”
The series will continue with game two Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Stanky Field.
