Box score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Jaguar right-hander Dustin Crenshaw tossed a complete-game shutout and struck out five to lead University of South Alabama baseball to a 4-0 series-clinching win over Western Kentucky Saturday at Nick Denes Field.

Crenshaw (7-1) allowed only six hits in the game, while issuing only one walk. After allowing a single to Ivan Hartle in the bottom of the third inning, Crenshaw went on retire 10 consecutive batters and 14 of the next 15 he faced. He did not allow another hit until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Hilltoppers threatened with consecutive singles to lead off the inning. But the right-hander answered with a fly out off the bat of Jared Andreoli, a fielder’s choice by Hartle and groundout to third by Matt Rice.

“I felt really good out there today,” Crenshaw said. “I was coming off of two bad outings in my mind, and I had some things I wanted to work on. The defense played well behind me, which gave me a lot of confidence. (Jeff) DeBlieux made a great play out in left field to start the game, and (Brent) Tanner called a heck of a game. I felt like we had most, if not all of their hitters off balance. Tanner works hard behind the plate, and worked even harder at the plate to give me all the run support I needed to complete the game.”

With Crenshaw and WKU right-hander Justin Hageman locked in a pitcher’s duel, the game remained scorless through the first six innings. But Tanner changed the game’s complexion with one swing in the top of the seventh when he blasted his third career grand slam over the left field wall to give the Jaguars a 4-0 lead.

Jordan Patterson led off the top of the seventh with a walk, and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Hunt Griffith. Later in the inning, Jake Overstreet reached on a hit by pitch before Tanner stepped into the box with two outs. He worked the count to 1-1 against Hageman before drilling the next pitch to the opposite field for his third career grand slam.

“He (Hageman) left a fastball up and out over the plate, and I put a good swing on it,” Tanner said. “I knew I hit it good, but I thought I missed it and popped it up. I thought it would be caught on the warning track. But I got enough of it to get it out of the yard. It was the spark we needed to put them away. It gave us the confidence to win the game – it was a big hit.”

That proved to be more than enough for Crenshaw, as he scattered three hits over his next three innings to close the game.

“It was a tremendous effort by Dustin (Crenshaw) on a day that we really needed it,” South Alabama head coach Steve Kittrell said. “It doesn’t get much better than a complete-game shutout. Western Kentucky didn’t hit him hard for most of the day, and the guys played good defense behind him. It is a huge game for us because it keeps our winning streak alive and puts us in the (SBC) tournament.”

Hageman (8-5) suffered the loss in seven innings pitched, allowing four runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Tanner finished 1-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and a run scored, and Brad Hook went 2-for-4. Taylor White, Jeff DeBlieux and Logan Kirkland added one hit apiece.

Ryan Hutchison went 2-for-4 to lead the Hilltoppers at the plate.

The win clinched a Sun Belt Conference Tournament berth for South Alabama, and marked their first series win over WKU (29-21, 14-12 SBC) since 2007. The win also extended the Jaguars’ win streak to five games.

South Alabama (27-23, 14-12 SBC) will go for the series sweep Sunday at 1 p.m.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

NOTES:  Tanner hit his second grand slam of the season and the third of his career … Crenshaw tossed his third complete game of the season and his second complete-game shutout of the year … South Alabama won its first series over Western Kentucky since 2007.