Box Score (PDF)

CONWAY, S.C. – University of South Alabama baseball right-hander Tyler Carr tossed a career-high eight innings pitched and recorded a season high in strikeouts to lead the Jaguars to an 11-6 series-opening win over No. 18 Coastal Carolina Friday at Springs Brooks Stadium.

Carr (5-2) struck out a season-high seven batters against two walks, and allowed three runs while scattering seven hits in eight innings pitched to earn the win. The Jaguars scored 10 runs in the game, aided by 15 walks issued by CCU (21-11, 8-2 SBC) pitchers.

South Alabama (17-11, 7-2 SBC) will return to action Saturday at 9 a.m. (CT) when it faces CCU in game two of the series at Springs Brooks Stadium. 

GAME FACTS
- South Alabama jumped out to a three-run lead in the top of the first inning. Travis Swaggerty led off the game with a solo home run to left field on a 3-2 pitch from Coastal Carolina right-hander Jason Bilous for a 1-0 advantage. Brendan Donovan and Hunter Stokes reached on consecutive one-out walks before Carter Perkins delivered a two-out RBI single to left field to score Donovan. Stokes scored from first on the play when CCU left fielder Truner Buis mishandled the ball to extend the Jaguar lead to 3-0.
- Wells Davis extended the USA lead to 4-0 in the top of the third on a one-out solo home run to left field on a 2-1 pitch from Bilous.
-  Swaggerty led off the top of the fourth with a walk, then stole second with one out before Donovan and Stokes drew consecutive walks to load the bases with one out. Davis followed with a walk to plate Swaggerty and push the USA lead to 5-0. A wild pitch by CCU right-hander Patrick Orlando allowed Donovan to score for a 6-0 advantage. Perkins reached on a walk to load the bases with one out, before Andrew Bates delivered a two-out, two-run single through the right side of the infield later in the inning to score Stokes and Davis for an 8-0 South Alabama lead. Michael Sandle followed with a two-out walk to load the bases for Swaggerty, but Orlando induced a popup to first off the bat of Swaggerty to end the inning.
- Dylan Hardy led off the top of the fifth, and scored one batter later on an RBI double to the right-center field gap by Donovan to extend the Jaguar lead to 9-0. Stokes followed with an RBI single to right-center field to plate Donovan for a 10-0 lead.
- CCU cut the Jaguar lead to 10-2 in the bottom of the fifth on a one-out, two-run home run to right-center field by Seth Lancaster. Zach Biermann followed with a solo home run to left field to cut the CCU deficit to seven runs.
- Swaggerty led off the top of the ninth with a walk, advanced to second on a one-out walk by Donovan and scored the final Jaguar run on a one-out pinch-hit single back up the middle by Deyvid Silva.
- The Chanticleers scored the game's final runs in the bottom of the ninth on a three-run home run to left field by Lancaster.

NOTES
- Bilous issued a CCU single-game record 10 walks, breaking the previous program high of eight which was held by Rett Johnson who walked eight batters on March 4, 1999, against North Carolina.
- Jaguar right-hander Tyler Carr (5-2) struck out a season-high seven batters against two walks, and allowed three runs on seven hits in a career-high eight innings pitched to earn his fifth win of the season. 
- Bilous (4-1) allowed eight runs on three hits with six strikeouts against 10 walks in 3 1/3 innings to earn his first loss of the year.
- Seven Jaguar starters hit safely in the game, led by Perkins who went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks. Swaggerty finished 1-for-3 with a home run, one RBI, three walks and three runs scored, and Davis hit a home run, drove in two runs and scored twice. Bates finished with one hit and two RBIs.
- Lancaster went 3-for-5 with two home runs, five RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Chanticleers offensively.
- Friday's announced attendance of 2,311 set a CCU record for attendance in Sun Belt Conference games.

QUOTES
Head Coach Mark Calvi
- On Tyler Carr:
"Tyler was really good tonight. The wind was blowing out for both pitchers, but he really competed and made his pitches. He didn't throw his slider very much tonight, but he was 89 to 92 tonight. I was proud of his effort tonight; he was really good."

On the season to this point:
"I'm super proud of our team. We have lost some guys for the season and when you looked at our schedule before the season started, it was tough with everybody you thought was going to be on the roster. And it got even tougher when some guys went down, but it is what it is. We just had to establish what normal was without some of those (injured) guys. Our guys have kept playing hard, practicing hard and have kept at it. I'm proud of their effort."

Right-hander Tyler Carr
On his effort:
"Our approach was to get ahead early, pitch them in and throw the offspeed for strikes. My changeup was working. We didn't throw the slider much; it wasn't that effective. I knew they (CCU) had good offensive numbers coming into the weekend, and I knew their guy (Bilous) was guy; I wanted to beat him real bad and we needed a win."

On having a three-run lead before taking the mound:
"It definitely takes away the nerves, and allows you to pitch with confidence when you have a lead."

Carter Perkins
On his day at the plate:
"I thought we executed the game plan really well. We drew 10 walks from their starter; we laid off the balls and put good swings on the ones over the plate. I mainly just tried to see the pitch as long as possible before I committed to it."

On the offense:
"I think if we just keep executing our game plan each game then we will be okay. We need to just keep doing that and producing and being selective at the plate. But I know they (CCU) are going to come out swinging it tomorrow, so we need another good start and need to jump on them early again."

UP NEXT
South Alabama will return to action Saturday at 9 a.m. (CT) when it faces CCU in game two of the series at Springs Brooks Stadium. 

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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