COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech's Kevin Strohschein's two-run home run with two outs in the ninth handed Jacksonville State a 7-6 loss on Saturday at Bush Stadium on the TTU campus.
The walk-off setback was the first of the year for JSU as it dropped to 23-11 overall and 12-2 in OVC play. With the win, Tech improved to 20-13 on the season and 10-7 in league play. The Golden Eagles and Gamecocks will square off in the rubber game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
JSU was primed to go ahead and claim its fifth OVC series with the league's top closer in terms of saves,
Justin Hoyt, but Jax State's lone error of the game after one out, proved to be costly as Strohschein belted his second home run of the game to lift Tech to the win. He gave Tech their first lead of the series on his first home run of the day in the seventh with a three-run shot to the exact same spot at Bush Stadium. He finished the day 3-for-5 and three RBI.
After Strohschein gave Tech a 5-3 lead going to the eighth, JSU did what it has done all year long and answer with runs after the opposition has taken the lead. The Gamecocks put together a three0run eighth to take a 6-5 lead. Sophomore
Hayden White collected his second RBI of the day with a single to right, plating
Joe McGuire, who walked in a pinch-hitting role. After a pair of strikeouts by Tech's Ethan Roberts, junior
Josh Bobo delivered the go-ahead two-run home run to left field. Bobo, who shared OVC Player of the Week honors with Strohschein, had an RBI bloop single to right field in the seventh to break up a 2-all deadlock. The Attalla, Alabama native joined White as the only Gamecocks with multiple hits against a Tech pitching staff that struck out 12 JSU hitters in the affair.
JSU took an early lead in the contest after White belted a two-out solo home run to left field off of Tech starter Jake Usher. The Gamecocks would push across a run in the fourth to extend the lead to 2-0.
Tyler Gamble scored the second run on a wild pitch from Usher.
Jax State starter
Jack Pierce struggled with the tight strike zone in his 3.1 innings pitched. He escaped trouble in the first three innings, stranding Golden Eagles on the base paths in all three full innings. Tech finished the day with nine men left on base. Pierce ran into trouble in the fourth as back-to-back walks opened the door for Tech's two-run inning. David Garza and Tyler Brazelton had RBI singles in the frame to even the contest.
JSU sophomore
Grant Chandler went the next 3.1 innings and allowed five Tech hits, including the first of two-go-ahead home runs by Strohschein in the seventh. Freshman
Derrick Adams tossed three pitches for a strikeout and was in line for the win before Tech's heroics in the ninth. Hoyt came in for a six-out save in the eighth and left the tying run at third in the frame. Hoyt has yet to give up an earned run on the season.
The rubber game of the series will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network with air time set for 12:45 p.m. The game will also be available on the OVC Digital Network.
