MOBILE, Ala. – After four consecutive wins, Texas State's impressive winning streak comes to an end at the hands of the Jaguars of South Alabama. The Bobcats fell to South Alabama, 7-1, Friday night to drop to 9-11-1 overall and 5-2 in Sun Belt Conference play.
 
The Jaguars threw one of the best pitchers in the SBC in Kevin Hill. He went eight innings and only gave up two hits to the Bobcats. He walked four with 10 strikeouts. One of the hits was from Cedric Vallieres in the opening inning.
 
After that, Hill only allowed four base runners, all on walks, before he gave up another hit in the eighth inning. Matt Sanchez broke the streak with a single up the middle.
 
Texas State scored in the ninth inning to keep the game from being a shutout. David Paiz knocked a single to right field and went to third on a double down the right line from Granger Studdard. A sacrifice fly from a pinch hitting Dylan Paul brought in Paiz, but a strikeout after that ended the game.
 
In the ninth, the Bobcats put two hits on South Alabama closer Cody Van Aken after hitting just two hits in eight innings against Hill.
 
South Alabama jumped on the Bobcats early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first with two outs. Centerfielder Cole Billingsley hit a bunt single with two gone and stole second. The team's leading RBI hitter, Adam Ballew, followed with a single to the outfield to plate Billingsley and claim an early lead.
 
The Jaguars added three runs in the third and three more in the fifth to drop Texas State to 4-9 this season when opponents score first.
 
Keith Brenner and Braden Pearson made good showings for the Bobcats in relief. Pearson did not give up a hit in the inning he pitched. Brenner, in 2.1 innings to close out the game, only gave up one hit and a walk in nine batters faced. It was easily his best performance of the season.
 
Texas State will look to bounce back in the second game of the series at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night.