Kevin Hill (Muscogee Creek) is First Jaguar Pitcher to Record 10 Wins in a Season as Jags Defeat GSU

TROY, Ala. – University of South Alabama right-hander Kevin Hill (Musocgee Creek Nation) fanned 10 batters in seven innings and the No.1-seeded Jaguars pounded out 18 hits en route to a 14-4 win over No. 5 seed Georgia State

Hill (10-0) allowed just one run on eight hits, and issued three walks to go with his 10 strikeouts to earn his 10th win of the season. He is the first Jaguar pitcher to record 10 wins in a season since D.D. Hanks in 2010. Hill also eclipsed the 100-strikeout mark for the year, which is the first time a Jaguar has posted 100-plus strikeouts since P.J. Walters’ 166 in 2006.

“I started off a little slow, but as soon as I got things going and we started scoring the team fed off of my energy and I fed off of theirs,” Hill said.

“Today was a tale of two really good pitchers going out there,” USA head coach Mark Calvi said. “(Kenny) Anderson stuffed us a few weeks ago at our place; he did a really nice job. Our guys came out today and did a good job swinging the bats and put some nice at-bats together. Kevin Hill did a fantastic job of calming everyone down and doing his thing. I’m really proud of our guys with six of them driving in runs. We scored some runs off a pretty good arm in this league.

“But I told our guys after the game that this only counts as one (win). You have to keep playing hard. This is going to be tough, and we have to earn and work for everything we get. Our guys have been resilient and worked hard all year long. I would expect them to continue to do that. They play hard and show up every single day. I’m super proud of these guys and their effort today.”

Anderson (5-4) allowed six runs on seven hits with three walks in three innings in the loss.

USA threatened in the top of the first inning, but was unable to push across a run. Ben Gann reached on a one-out single to third, and Bud Collura followed with a double down the right-field line. The Panthers recorded the second out of the game on a grounder back to GSU starter Kenny Anderson, who fired to third where Matt Rose tagged Gann while retreating to the bag. The left-hander then escaped the inning without allowing a run to cross with an inning-ending groundout to shortstop off the bat of Matt Bolger.

GSU (30-26) took its lone lead of the game in the bottom of the first. Trae Sweeting led off the bottom of the inning with a double down the left-field line, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Justin Jones. Hill induced a flyout to left field by Caden Bailey for the second out of the inning, before Matt Rose delivered a two-out RBI single back up the middle to score Sweeting with the game’s first run.

But the Jaguars answered with three runs in the top of the second to take a lead they never relinquished. Anderson issued a leadoff walk to Cole Gleason to start the inning. Danny Martinez followed with a single to right field before Anderson recorded the first out of the frame on a force out at third base after a sacrifice bunt attempt by Jared Barnes. Ryan Raspino then delivered an RBI double to the right-center field gap to plate Martinez and tie the game 1-1. Cole Billingsley followed with a two-run single to left-center field to score Barnes and Raspino for a 3-1 Jaguar advantage.

South Alabama (36-19) added to its lead one inning later. Collura reached on a leadoff walk from Anderson in the top of the third and advanced to second when Jones mishandled the feed from Bailey on an attempt for the force out at second on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Adam Ballew. Gleason followed with a walk to load the bases before Collura scored one pitch later on a wild pitch to extend the USA lead to 4-1.

USA then increased its lead to seven runs in the top of the fourth, aided by a pair of home runs. Raspino pushed the Jaguar lead to 5-1 on a leadoff home run – the first of his career at South Alabama – to left field. Billingsley followed with a double down the left-field line, which chased Anderson from the game, and moved to third on a groundout to shortstop by Gann. Ballew then delivered a two-out RBI single to left field to plate Billingsley for a 6-1 lead. Bolger followed with a two-run home run over the left-field wall – his first of the season – to extend the Jaguar lead to 8-1.

GSU catcher Joey Roach reached on a leadoff double to the right-center gap in the bottom of the fourth, and advanced to third on a passed ball. But Hill stranded the runner at third with consecutive strikeouts to end the inning and preserve a seven-run Jaguar lead.

USA then added to its lead in the top of the fifth. The Jags loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth on a hit by pitch to Raspino, bunt single to third by Billingsley and a walk by Gann. Collura followed with a two-run single to center field to score Raspino and Billingsley for a 10-1 USA advantage.

GSU loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth on a one-out double by Bailey, and consecutive walks issued by Hill. But the right-hander escaped the jam without allowing a run to cross with back-to-back strikeouts.

The Panthers pushed their second run of the game across in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Sperry, and added their final runs of the game on a two-run home run to left field by Will Johnson.

USA added the game’s final runs in the top of the ninth on a two-out RBI double off the left-center wall by Raspino, a two-run double down the left-field line by Gann and an RBI single to center field by Collura.

Eight Jaguar hitters recorded at least one hit in the game, led by Billingsley who tied a career high with four hits after going 4-for-6 with a double, three runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base. Raspino also tied a career high with three hits, and finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, one home run, three RBI and four runs scored. Collura also tied a career high with three hits, including a double, and added three RBI and one run scored.

South Alabama will have an off day Friday, and will return to action in a winner’s bracket game at 9 a.m. Saturday against the winner of Arkansas State and Georgia State who play Friday in an elimination game.