Final Stats

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Jacksonville State wrapped up its Florida excursion with a thrilling 6-5 win over Northwestern University on Monday afternoon at the Chain of Lakes Complex.

The Gamecocks pushed the winning run in the ninth after a fielding error by NU shortstop Kyle Ruchim off the bat of Erik Underwood.  Senior Kyle Bluestein crossed the plate to give JSU its fifth win of the season and third straight to wrap up a nine-game road trip.  After dropping the first two games of the Russ Matt Central Florida Games to Iowa and Bradley, Jax State posted wins over Long Island, Nebraska-Omaha and the Wildcats of NU.  JSU has now won three straight over the Purple and White clad Wildcats.

JSU pounded out a season-high 15 hits as eight of the nine batters in the line up turned in multi-hits in the contest.  The Red and White took advantage of two MU miscues in the first inning as Bluestein connected on a two-out single to left to plate Coty Blanchard for the first run of the contest.  Bluestein would score on Underwood's hit to left field.  JSU continued its two-out hitting with a double off the bat of Cal Lambert to plate Underwood.

With Jax State starter Bradley Raulston staked to a three-run cushion, the sophomore right hander ran into some trouble in the Wildcats' second as he allowed a pair of runs to trim the Gamecocks' advantage to 3-2.  NU would even the contest at 3-3 in the fourth and take its first lead of the contest in the fifth.  A sacrifice fly from Christopher Kontos scored Paul Snieder from third. 

The JSU offense responded in the home half of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead after Erik Underwood laced a single to right to plate his brother Scott Underwood, who led off the frame with a walk. E. Underwood finished with a pair of RBIs in the affair. Lambert connected on a sacrifice fly to score JSU's fifth run.

After junior left hander Cody Ponder quieted the NU offense for 2.1 innings and escaped trouble in his outing, JSU went to Travis Stout for the second time in three days to shut the door for Gamecocks.  After a stellar outing on Saturday against LIU, the Smyrna, Ga.-lefty mirrored that outing on Monday.  He earned his second win of the year after tossing the final two innings.

The Gamecocks return to Rudy Abbott Field for the first time in nine games on Wednesday, March 21 as they host UAB.  JSU and UAB will conclude the game that was halted by rain on Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m. prior to the regularly-scheduled 6:30 p.m. contest with the Blazers.