Jags Advance In SBC Championship With 14-4 Win Over Georgia State
Kevin Hill struck out a 10 batters as he eclipsed the 100-strikeout mark for the season, he’s the first jaguar to do that since P.J. Walters 166 in 2006. | Photo Credit: John Adams usajaguars.com
Jaguar ace Kevin Hill struck out 10 batters in seven inning and allowed only one run on eight hits and three walks to help lead the USA to a 14-4 win over #5 seed Georgia State on Thursday.
Hill earned his 10th win of the season and is the first Jaguar to do so since D.D. Hanks did it in 2010. Also his 10 strikeouts puts him over the 100-strikeout mark for the season which is the first Jaguar to do so since P.J. Walters’ struck out 166 in 2006.
USA pounded out 18 hits in the game.
The Jags threatened to in the top of the first inning but were unable to push a run across the plate. It was GSU that would score the first run of the game in the bottom half of the opening frame. Trae Sweeting led off with a double down the left-field line and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Hill got Caden Bailey to fly out to left field for the second out of the inning but a two-out RBI single up the middle would score a run for GSU.
But the Panther lead would not last long as the Jags answered with three runs in the top of the second and they would not relinquish it the rest of the game. Cole Gleason led off with a walk. Danny Martinez followed with a single to right field. The first out came when Jared Barnes sacrifice bunt attempt led to a force out a third base. Ryan Raspino delivered an RBI double to the right-center gap to score Martinez and tie the game. Cole Billingsley hit a single to left-center field to plate both Barnes and Raspino for a 3-1 USA advantage.
Eight Jaguars recorded at least one hit in the game. Billingsley led the way with a career high four hits by 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 by going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI and four runs scored. Collura also tied a career high with three hits as he had a double, three RBI and a run scored.
USA will have Friday off and will play at 9am Saturday in the winner’s bracket by facing the winner of Arkansas State and Georgia State, both of which play on Friday in an elimination game.