/custompages/Stats/Baseball/2012/jsu22.htmFINAL STATS

RICHMOND, Ky. – Daniel Watts tied his career-high with nine strikeouts to lead Jacksonville State to its sixth straight win with a 4-1 win over Eastern Kentucky as the Gamecocks claim the series to remain unbeaten in Ohio Valley Conference play.
 
Watts (2-3) scattered six hits in a career-long 7 2/3 innings and allowed just one run to earn his second win of the season, while Todd Hornsby picked up his fifth save of the year after recording the final four outs. EKU's Greg Terry (1-3) allowed all four runs in just two innings on the mound to get stuck with the loss for the Colonels.
 
Jax State (8-14, 2-0 OVC) took the early lead after Kyle Bluestein and Erik Underwood had back-to-back singles to lead off the second and Sam Eberle walked to load the bases. Kyle Stone followed with a single through the ride side to score Bluestein and Underwood as the Gamecocks took a 2-0 lead.
 
Stephen Barlett then drove in two more runs with a single up the middle to score Eberle and Stone as Jax State extended the lead to 4-0.
 
Eastern Kentucky scored its only runs of the game in the fourth inning after Bryan Solomon had a RBI double to left field to cut the lead to 4-1.
 
Watts then retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced before being lifted for Hornsby in the eighth inning. Hornsby then got four straight groundouts to end the game.
 
Stone and Barlett each drove in a pair of runs to lead the Gamecocks, while Richie Rodriguez and Alex Hughes each had to hits to lead the Colonels.
 
It marks the eighth straight series the Gamecocks have claimed over Eastern Kentucky and the two teams will play the final game of the three-game OVC series at 12 noon on Sunday. The game can be heard on the JSU Radio Network with Mike Parris.