Game 1 box score
Game 2 box score
Photo gallery 

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team swept a doubleheader from Louisiana-Monroe Saturday at Stanky Field to clinch its fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference series.

USA (20-7, 11-0 SBC) shut out ULM (10-17, 2-6 SBC) 13-0 in the series opener, followed by a 10-4 win in game two. Jaguar right-handers Kevin Hill and Hunter Soleymani each turned in a quality start, while the USA offense pushed across 23 runs in two games.

"We have some younger kids really swinging the bat well," USA head coach Mark Calvi said. "We played clean defensively in the first game, and not-so-clean in the second game which disturbs me a little bit. But Kevin Hill was outstanding, and Hunter Soleymani was outstanding again. Our two catchers, Jared Barnes and Tanner Halstead, have done a fantastic job with this pitching staff. Overall, it was a team effort and good to come off the mat after a sloppy game on Wednesday and win two conference games. I am proud of the way the guys responded, and pleased with the overall results today. But it started on the mound with those two seniors, and we swung the bats well."

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 Billingsley and Gann each went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Billingsley also scored twice.

Game 2 – South Alabama 10, ULM 4 
Jaguar right-hander Hunter Soleymani struck out a career-high eight batters, and allowed one earned run on five hits with one walk in 7 2/3 innings pitched to earn his second win of the season and lead the Jaguars to an 8-4 series-clinching win in game two. Soleymani retired the first 10 batters he faced in the game before surrendering a one-out single to Nathan Reynolds in the top of the fourth inning. 

USA took a one-run lead in the bottom of the first inning. Swaggerty drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third with one out on a wild pitch from ULM right-hander Brayden Bouchey. A sacrifice fly to left field by LaBounty scored Swaggerty with the game's first run.

USA doubled its lead in the bottom of the second. Perkins led off the inning with a single to left field, and advanced to second on a balk by Bouchey. Brendan Donovan then drew a walk, before Wolfe singled to third with two outs later in the inning that scored Perkins and doubled the USA lead to 2-0.

Billingsley drew a leadoff walk then stole second before LaBounty reached on a single to shortstop. Martinez followed with an RBI single to left field that scored Billingsley to increase the Jaguar lead to three runs. Donovan singled to shortstop, and LaBounty scored on the play on a throwing error by ULM shortstop Nathan Reynolds for a 4-0 USA advantage.

ULM answered with its first run of the game in the top of the fourth on an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Nathan Pugh to cut the Jaguar lead to 4-1.

South Alabama responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to push its lead to seven runs. Swaggerty led off the inning with a solo home run to right field for a 5-1 lead. Billingsley followed with an infield single to second base, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Consecutive walks by LaBounty and Martinez loaded the bases for Perkins, who lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Billingsley and extend the Jaguar lead to 6-1. LaBounty and Martinez both moved into scoring position on a double steal before Donovan delivered a two-run single to right field for an 8-1 USA advantage. 
 
ULM pushed its second run of the game across in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Reynolds. ULM added its final runs of the game in the top of the eighth, highlighted by an RBI groundout by Tyler Cox.

Consecutive one-out RBI singles by Perkins and Donovan in the bottom of the eighth pushed across the final two Jaguar runs of the game.

Dononvan went 3-for-4 with a career-high three RBI to lead USA at the plate. Perkins went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Swaggerty, Martinez and Wolfe each added one hit and one RBI. 

USA will go for its fourth straight SBC series sweep in Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.

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).