by STATESBORO, Ga. – Jaguar right-hander Kevin Hill (Muscgoee Creek Nation) fanned 12 batters in his second complete game in as many starts to lead the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 7-1 series-opening win Friday against Georgia Southern.
Hill (8-0) allowed one run on five hits, and issued two walks to go with his 12 strikeouts to earn his eighth consecutive win. It also marked his third consecutive complete game against Sun Belt Conference opponents. GSU left-hander Evan Challenger (5-1) allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks in 5 2/3 innings to take his first loss of the season.
“Kevin really got stronger the deeper he pitched into the game,” Jaguar pitching coach Bob Keller said. “He works so hard week-to-week, he’s worthy of every good result he gets out there. I’m really proud of him. You can’t ask for a better effort. Once he gets a little run support, it’s over. He can smell the finish line. The fact that he has pitched three complete games in a row in conference games is a really special thing he has done. But tonight he got the fastball up to 93 late in the game. He is a four-pitch mix guy, and tonight he was able to throw any pitch in any count.”
Georgia Southern (27-19, 16-9 SBC) threatened in the bottom of the first. Kody Adams led off the inning with a double to right field, and advanced to third on a flyout to right field by Aaron Mizell. But Hill induced a popup to Jared Barnes in foul territory near the backstop for the second out of the frame, and ended the threat with a flyout to center field off the bat of Hunter Thomas.
GSU scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the third. Adams reached on a one-out triple, and scored one batter later on an RBI single to right-center field by Mizell for a 1-0 Eagle advantage.
USA answered with four runs in the top of the sixth to take a three-run lead. Ryan Raspino reached on a leadoff walk from Challenger, advanced to second on a single by Ben Gann and scored one batter later on a one-out RBI single to right field by Bud Collura to even the score at one run apiece. Adam Ballew followed with a RBI sacrifice fly to right field to plate Gann and give the Jags a 2-1 lead. Cole Gleason then delivered a two-out RBI single to right field to score Collura for a 3-1 USA lead. The Jaguars loaded the bases later in the inning on a two-out walk by Barnes. DeGallier then drew a walk to score Bolger, who reached on a walk earlier in the inning, for a 4-1 advantage.
South Alabama (30-17, 15-7 SBC) extended its lead in the top of the eighth. The Jags put two runners in scoring position with two outs on a single by Barnes and double down the left-field line by DeGallier. Raspino followed with a two-run single to right-center field to score both runners and extend the USA lead to 6-1. Cole Billingsley then singled to right-center to plate Raspino with the final run of the game.
Gleason went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI, and Billingsley finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases to lead the Jaguars offensively. Collura added two hits, an RBI and a run scored.
