Box score

MOBILE, Ala. – Cole Billingsley delivered a walk-off RBI single to left-center field in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the University of South Alabama baseball team to a 2-1 series-clinching win over Georgia State Saturday at Stanky Field.

USA (28-16, 13-7 SBC) loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th with one out after a leadoff single by Cameron Cummings, a one-out single from Garrett DeGallier and a walk by Adam Ballew. Ryan Raspino drew a bases-loaded walk from GSU right-hander Jerry Stuckey to plate Cummings and tie the game 1-1. Billingsley then served the first pitch he saw from Stuckey into left-center field to score DeGallier with the game-winning run.

"It was an exciting and well-pitched ballgame on both sides for sure," USA assistant coach Alan Luckie said. "Georgia State scored a run in the 11th, but to our kids' credit they didn't bat an eye and came in and went to work. They responded in a perfect manner with the perfect attitude and energy, and we came back and beat the conference's leading team."

Ben Taylor (5-1) earned the win in two relief innings, and allowed one run on one hit with four strikeouts. Burgee (3-2) allowed two runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts and one walk in 2 2/3 innings in the loss.

Caden Bailey broke a scoreless tie with a two-out solo home run to right field in the top of the 11th inning to give Georgia State a one-run lead. Bailey battled to a 3-2 count before lifting the eighth pitch he saw from Taylor over the right field wall for the Panthers' only run.

Both starting pitchers in the game tossed seven-plus scoreless innings. Jaguar right-hander Austin Bembnowski tied career highs in innings pitched (8.0) and strikeouts (6), and allowed just five hits without issuing a walk without factoring in the decision. GSU southpaw Kenny Anderson allowed four hits with four walks and a career-high seven strikeouts in 7 2/3 scoreless innings. Kenny Anderson surrendered a first-inning single to Bud Collura, and did not allow another hit until a one-out double down the left-field line by Bolger in the bottom of the seventh.

GSU (26-17, 13-5 SBC) threatened in the top of the fifth inning when Jack Thompson and Cam Sperry reached on consecutive singles. A fielder's choice on a sacrifice bunt attempt by James Clements provided the first out of the inning when USA second baseman Bolger fired to shortstop Raspino at second for a force out, which left Panther runners at the corners. David Levy then reached on a fielder's choice bunt to first base when Ben Gann fielded and fired to Jared Barnes at the plate to cut down Thompson attempting to score the game's first run. Ryan Blanton followed with a single back up the middle, but Bolger fired home to catch Clements in a 4-2-5-1 rundown for the final out of the frame and preserve a scoreless tie.

USA threatened late in the game when it put runners at the corners with two outs in the bottom of the eighth on a leadoff single by Ballew and a two-out single to right field by Collura. Georgia State then called on Burgee who escaped the inning with a popup into foul territory off the bat of Gann.

Burgee pitched around a one-out double by Gleason in the bottom of the ninth to strand a Jaguar runner in scoring position for the second straight inning with an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Ballew to force extra innings.

The Jaguars threatened again in the bottom of the 10th. Raspino reached on a fielding error by GSU third baseman Bailey to lead off the inning. Collura followed with a single to center field to put runners at the corners with one out. Burgee induced a popup to first base off the bat of Gann for the second out of the frame, and escaped the inning with a grounder off the bat of Bolger.

"We have been in this situation a few times this year where we won the first two games, and we have to come out tomorrow and play with the exact same energy and intensity that we have played with the last two days. If we do that and do what we are supposed to do, which is pitch and play defense, then we will be in the ballgame and give ourselves a chance for a sweep."

The series will conclude with the finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.

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