Box score

JACKSONVILLE, Ala.  – University of South Alabama baseball right-hander Matt Bell tossed five innings to earn his first career win and help the No. 30-ranked Jaguars defeat Jacksonville State 8-3 Wednesday at Rudy Abbott Field.

Bell (1-0) surrendered three runs on four hits with three strikeouts. All three runs he allowed came via a three-run home run in the first inning. From that point on, the right-hander retired 14 of the final 15 batters he faced.

“We scored four in the first on five hits and that was good to see, because there wasn’t a lot offense yesterday,” head coach Mark Calvi said. “Then we gave up a three-run home run, but credit Matt Bell for coming back. He threw up zeros his next four innings, and we got every leadoff hitter out except for the ninth inning. He did what he had to do. He bent a little but didn’t break, and gave us a chance to score some runs. And we were pretty good out of the bullpen again.”

Every Jaguar starter recorded a hit in the game with five tallying multiple hits. Hayden Jones went 3-for-4 with a run scored, and Jordan Patterson finished 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI, one run and a walk. Whitt Dorsey went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Jeff DeBlieux finished 2-for-5 with a triple, a double and three runs while Bud Collura went 2-for-4 with a walk and one run scored. Nolan Earley and Nick Zaharion finished with one hit and one RBI apiece.

USA struck for two runs in the top of the first on a two-run double down the left field line by Patterson to score Cole Billingsley and DeBlieux who reached on an error and fielder’s choice, respectively. Later in the inning, Zaharion singled through the right side of the infield with two outs to score Patterson and increase the Jaguar lead to 3-0. USA added its fourth run of the frame on an RBI single to center field from Dorsey to score Zaharion.

JSU (3-7) cut the Jaguar lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the first on a three-run home run by Coty Blanchard.

USA loaded the bases in the top of the second on a walk by Collura, double from DeBlieux and walk by Patterson. Earley then reached on an RBI fielder’s choice that also scored DeBlieux from second after a JSU throwing error to double the Jaguar lead to 6-3.

The Jags added a run in the top of the seventh when DeBlieux tripled to the right-center gap to lead off the inning, and scored one batter later on an RBI single to left-center field by Patterson.

South Alabama loaded the bases in the top of the eighth and scored its final run of the contest on a wild pitch from JSU left-hander Taylor Sparks.

South Alabama (9-0) will return to action this weekend when it travels to Charleston, S.C., for a three-game series with College of Charleston.

“We have to be good; it gets tougher from here,” Calvi said of the upcoming weekend series. “College of Charleston is going to be good. We face a really good pitcher on Friday. They have some good arms and have some hitters returning, so we need quality starts. We need our starters to get us into at least the sixth (inning). We’ve used the bullpen a little and they have done a great job, but I want to see our starters get into the sixth or seventh inning and have a full cupboard for Saturday and Sunday.”

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:  With the win, the Jags are off to their first 9-0 start since 1975 … USA has now won 11 straight games dating back to last year’s Sun Belt Conference Championship … Earley extended his on-base streak to 26 games, and extended his hitting streak to six straight … South Alabama improved to 14-4 all-time against the Gamecocks and 7-1 in Jacksonville … USA has won seven consecutive games at Jacksonville State dating back to 1997 … Bell earned his first career win in his first career start … Patterson extended his on-base streak to nine games … The Jaguar bullpen has not allowed a run in four consecutive games, and allowed just three hits during that span.