by LAFAYETTE, La. – University of South Alabama baseball right-hander Kevin Hill tossed his fourth straight complete game against Sun Belt Conference opposition in a 5-0 shutout win over Louisiana-Lafayette in the series opener Friday at M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field.
Hill (9-0) earned his ninth consecutive win, allowing just five hits with eight strikeouts against three walks, and extended his scoreless streak to 15 consecutive innings. The right-hander faced the minimum over the final four frames, and handed the Cajuns their first shutout loss of the season.
“Kevin mixed in two different breaking balls, and threw his fastball to both sides of the plate,” Jaguar pitching coach Bob Keller said. “What he is doing is unbelievable. I’m just real proud of all his efforts. What he means to this program and the things he has done is just outstanding.”
Hill’s performance, which was his second shutout of the year, marked the first time a Jaguar pitcher has tossed two shutouts in an SBC season since right-hander Dustin Crenshaw accomplished the feat in 2011.
No. 29 USA (33-17, 18-7 SBC) jumped out to a one-run lead in the top of the second. Adam Ballew led off the inning with a single to left field, and scored one batter later on an RBI double down the left-field line by Matt Bolger for a 1-0 Jaguar advantage. Garrett DeGallier doubled the USA lead to two runs with a two-out RBI single back up the middle that scored Bolger from second.
ULL (30-18, 14-10 SBC) threatened when it loaded the bases in the bottom of the third. Blake Trahan singled to center field with one out, and advanced to second on a two-out walk by Trosclair. A two-out walk by Tyler Girouard loaded the bases for the Cajuns. But Hill stranded all three runners with an inning-ending flyout to right field off the bat of Davis to preserve a two-run Jaguar lead.
Consecutive singles by Ryan Raspino and Cole Billingsley put Jaguar runners at the corners with no outs to start the top of the fifth. Billingsley stole second to put two runners in scoring position with no outs, but ULL southpaw Gunner Leger ended the threat with three consecutive outs to keep the Cajun deficit at two runs.
South Alabama held on to its two-run lead until it added three insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Jared Barnes reached on a leadoff walk, and DeGallier followed with a hit by pitch to put two runners on the start the inning. Raspino then reached on a fielder’s choice to shortstop to set up runners at the corners with one out. Billingsley followed with a one-out walk from ULL right-hander Reagan Bazar to load the bases. Ben Gann then delivered an RBI infield single to plate Barnes and extend the USA lead to 3-0. Collura followed with an RBI single to left-center field to score DeGallier and push the Jaguar lead to 4-0. Ballew then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to allow Billingsley to score with the game’s final run.
Leger (5-4) allowed two runs on 10 hits, and struck out six without issuing a walk in the loss. Eight Jaguar hitters hit safely in the game, with four recording multiple hits, led by Bolger who went 2-for-5 with a double, one RBI and a run scored. Gann and Collura each added two hits and one RBI, while Billingsley finished 2-for-4 with a stolen base and one run scored.
