FINAL STATS  |  PHOTO GALLERY

JACKSON, Tenn. – Senior Daniel Watts had 11 strikeouts and allowed just one hit to lead Jacksonville State to a 12-5 win over Morehead State in an elimination game at the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday.
 
Watts (5-6) tied an OVC Tournament record and his career-high with 11 strikeouts and did not surrender his first hit until one out in the sixth inning to earn the win. He finished the game throwing 69 pitches, including 49 for strikes, and did not issue any walks. Noah Smallwood (3-4) suffered the loss after giving up eight runs and nine hits for Morehead State.
 
“I thought Daniel was just outstanding on the mound,” said JSU head coach Jim Case. “He was as dominate as you will see in college baseball.”
 
Jacksonville State (27-29) gave Watts an early 5-0 lead after the Gamecocks had four hits and took advantage of three errors in the top of the first inning. Sam Eberle drove in two runs with his school-record 62nd double, while Kyle Bluestein and Cal Lambert each plated a run for the early lead.
 
The Gamecocks added a run in the second on a Bluestein sacrifice fly and Eberle knocked in his third run of the game in the third inning for a 7-0 lead.
 
Ben Waldrip had a RBI single in the fifth and Lambert had a RBI double in the eighth inning as JSU built a 9-0 lead.
 
Morehead State got on the board in the eighth inning with four runs, before the Gamecocks added three more runs in the ninth inning as Coty Blanchard scored on a wild pitch, while Eberle and Bluestein each knocked in a run to give JSU a 12-4 lead.
 
The Eagles scored their final run in the home half of the ninth on a RBI single by Taylor Pickens for the final margin.
 
Eberle and Waldrip each finished with three hits to lead the Gamecocks, while Bluestein, Lambert, Andrew Bishop, Scott Underwood and Erik Underwood each had two hits. Scott Underwood extended his hitting streak to a season-long seven games, while Sam Eberle has hit in six straight games and reached base in 43 consecutive games.
 
Pickens, Eric Bainer and Andrew Deeds each had two hits for Morehead State, while Pickens led the Eagles with two RBI.

Jacksonville State will play Eastern Kentucky at 11 a.m. on Friday and the game can be heard on the JSU Radio Network with Mike Parris and Josh Underwood at 10:45 a.m.