Box Score (PDF)

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team recorded a season-high 19 hits in an 11-3 win over Georgia Southern to secure a three-game Sun Belt Conference series sweep Sunday at Stanky Field.

South Alabama (21-13, 10-4 SBC) scored 11 runs on 19 hits, which surpassed its previous single-game high of 18 hits which came in the season opener with Kansas State on Feb. 16 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

USA will return to action Wed., April 18, when it travels to New Orleans, La., for a 6:30 p.m. contest against New Orleans.

GAME FACTS
-  Travis Swaggerty led off the bottom of the first with a single to center field, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Dylan Hardy. Brendan Donovan followed with a walk before Carter Perkins delivered a one-out RBI single to right field to score Swaggerty for a 1-0 Jaguar lead. Wells Davis then singled to right-center field to score Donovan and double the USA lead at 2-0. Hunter Stokes delivered a two-out RBI single to center field later in the inning to score Perkins for a 3-0 advantage.
- The Jaguars extended their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the second when Hardy hit a 1-0 pitch from Eagle right-hander Seth Shuman over the center field wall for a two-out, solo home run, which marked his second of the season. 
- Georgia Southern loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the third on consecutive singles by Nolan Tressler and Mitchell Golden. Steven Curry reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases for Austin Thompson, who delivered a sacrifice fly to center field to score Tressler with the first Eagle run of the game.
- Swaggerty reached on a fielding error by Eagle first baseman Jason Swan to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, and advanced to third on a single to right field by Hardy to put runners at the corners with no outs. Donovan followed with an RBI single through the right side of the infield to score Swaggerty for a 5-1 Jaguar lead. Perkins reached on a hit by pitch from Eagle right-hander Cole Whitney to load the bases with no outs for Davis, who delivered a two-run single to center field to score Hardy and Donovan and push the USA lead to 7-1. Michael Sandle followed with a bunt single to third base to load the bases for the second time in the inning. Stokes then grounded into a 6-3 double play that allowed Perkins to score from third for an 8-1 Jaguar lead. 
- Sandle tripled off the right field wall with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, and scored on a two-out RBI single to center field by Stokes for a 9-1 Jaguar advantage.
- Georgia Southern cut the USA lead to 9-2 in the top of the seventh on a bases-loaded walk by Corley.
- USA extended its lead to 10-2 in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out RBI single up the middle by Davis, which scored Donovan, who doubled to right field with two outs earlier in the inning.
- A two-out RBI single to center field by Hardy in the bottom of the eighth scored Stokes, who walked to lead off the inning, with the final Jag run of the game.
- The Eagles added the game's final runs in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Austin Thompson.

NOTES
- Sunday's start marked the first of Noah Michael's career at South Alabama, as well as his first career appearance at Stanky Field.
- Hardy's home run snapped a 32-game homerless streak, after he hit his first home run of the year in the season opener against Kansas State on Feb. 16.
- Michael (1-1) tied his career high with four strikeouts in a career-high 5 1/3 innings pitched, and allowed one run on six hits with one walk to earn his first career win at USA. 
- Shuman (4-4) allowed seven runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts against one walk in three innings pitched in the loss.
- Swaggerty's walk in the bottom of the fifth marked the 128th of his career, which tied him with former Jaguar Tyrone Dixon for fourth on the career walks list at South Alabama.
- South Alabama's 19 hits in the game set a new season high, surpassing the previous single-game high of 18 which came in the season opener against Kansas State. 
- USA extended its winning streak against Georgia Southern to six games, and pushed its all-time series lead top 15-6.
- Eight Jaguar starters recorded multiple hits in the game, led by Davis who went 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Hardy finished 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored, and Donovan went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and three runs scored. Stokes added two hits, two RBIs and one run scored.
- Mason McWhorter went 2-for-4 to lead the Eagles at the plate.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On the series sweep:
"I'm pleased that we beat three really good starting pitchers. Georgia Southern is young but talented, and they have some veterans on the mound. We did a really nice job with them. I thought we pitched extremely well all weekend. It was kind of an unorthodox three-game series with the day off in between, but our guys kept their focus and attention on the series and didn't get distracted. They weren't just happy with winning two games, they came out here to win today and I was pleased with their effort."

- On Noah Michael:
"I am so proud of that kid. Noah has worked extremely hard. I should have pitched him more earlier this year. He has done a fantastic job when he has been in there for us. He competes and throws strikes, and has a good changeup. I couldn't be more pleased for him and the team. It was the shot in the arm we needed on Sunday, and it just goes to show you that if you keep working and doing the right things while you're waiting to get in there then good things happen and that's what happened for Noah today. We're hoping for big things out of him, I just need him to be a version of that. We have seen it in some intrasquads and earlier this season – he has pitched against some really good teams and really held his own. Last week at Coastal Carolina, I started wondering why I didn't have him starting. I told myself that I wasn't going to make that mistake this weekend. And it's all about getting your opportunity and running with it, and I'm really proud of Noah's effort. Our guys swung the bats well, and played really good defense. Some guys are settling in at the plate, and we beat three accomplished college arms so I am really proud of our guys this weekend."

Right-hander Noah Michael
- On his first career start:
"I just tried to take advantage of the first opportunity I have gotten to start, and I just wanted to prove to Coach (Calvi) that I can do it again. Hopefully I did that today, it was just a dream come true for me. It was a lot of fun. My changeup and fastball were working well today, and I stuck with those two pitches for most of the outing."

- On pitching with a three-run lead after the first inning:
"You feel really good about yourself when you have a cushion like that. I'm real thankful for the team doing that today. It takes a lot of pressure off of you to be able to go out there and pitch your game without having to worry about getting behind or making a mistake."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Wed., April 18, when it travels to New Orleans, La., for a 6:30 p.m. contest against New Orleans.

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

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