by Game 1 – South Alabama 13, ULM 0
Right-hander Kevin Hill tossed eight shutout innings to lead the Jaguars to a 13-0 series opening win over ULM Saturday at Stanky Field.
Hill (6-1) allowed just three hits and struck out 10 with one walk to earn his sixth win of the season. He also moved to sixth in career strikeouts (261), passing former Jaguar Kenny Rayborn. ULM right-hander Chris Hunt (2-3) allowed six runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in 4 2/3 innings in the loss. Cody Van Aken struck out one in one scoreless inning to combine with Hill for the shutout.
USA took a two-run lead in the bottom of the second inning. Danny Martinez drew a leadoff walk, and moved to second with two outs on a wild pitch from Hunt. Jared Barnes followed with an RBI single to center field to score Martinez with the game’s first run. Ben Gann then doubled to right field to plate Barnes and double the Jaguar lead to 2-0.
South Alabama added six runs to its advantage with a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth. Cole Billingsley singled to center field with two outs, then stole second before Drew LaBounty drew a two-out walk. Martinez followed with an RBI single to second base to score Billingsley from second and extend the USA lead to 3-0. Carter Perkins then singled back up the middle to score LaBounty and push the Jaguar lead to 4-0. Donovan followed with an RBI single to right field to plate Martinez for a five-run USA lead. Barnes then delivered a two-run triple to the right-center field gap to score Perkins and Donovan and increase the Jaguar lead to 7-0. Barnes scored on a passed ball later in the inning for an eight-run USA advantage.
The Jags pushed three runs across in the bottom of the sixth. Adam Wolfe drew a leadoff walk, and moved to second with one out on a wild pitch. Billingsley followed with an RBI double to right-center field to score Wolfe and push the USA lead to 9-0. LaBounty then reached on a hit by pitch, and was lifted for pinch-runner Ryan Raspino. Martinez followed with a two-run double to right field to plate LaBounty and Raspino for an 11-0 lead.
A two-run pinch-hit double by Dylan Hardy in the bottom of the seventh scored the game’s final runs.
Barnes went 2-for-3 with a triple, tied a career high with three RBI to lead the Jags at the plate. Martinez finished 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored, and Bill
