Clutch Hits, Defense Leads ASU Hornets' 5-0 Shutout of South Alabama Jaguars

MOBILE, Alabama (Feb. 18)  --  Richard Amion and Dexter Price each hit home runs, and five pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout as the Alabama State baseball team defeated South Alabama 5-0 Tuesday night at Stanky Field.

Amion homered to left field on the second pitch of the game to give the Hornets the lead. In the eighth, Richard Gonzalez hit a two-run single to extend the lead to 3-0. Price's two-run homer in the ninth sealed the win for Alabama State (3-1), its first in 11 meetings against the Jaguars (1-3).

Michael Estevez (1-0) and four relievers combined for the shutout. Alabama State got huge outs when it mattered, perhaps none bigger than left fielder Dillon Cooper's strong accurate throw to home plate, nailing South Alabama's Davis Knapp to end the fifth inning.

Despite walking five, Estevez yielded just three hits and got big the huge assist from Cooper to preserve the shutout. Hornet pitchers continually pitched out of trouble, as the defending Sun Belt Conference champions left 14 people on  base.

The Hornets play game two of their weeklong, six-game road trip at Auburn Wednesday at 3 p.m. with live radio on bamastatesports.com.

Box Score            

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION