DALLAS, Texas – Jacksonville State dropped its first weekend series of the season after falling to No. 23 Dallas Baptist University, 14-10, in the rubber game of the non-conference series at DBU's Horner Ballpark.
The Gamecocks' season-opening 11-game road trip is nearing a close with a 6-4 mark through the first 10 games of the season. JSU's road trip comes to a close on Tuesday as it will travel to Emerson, Georgia to face the Falcons of Bowling Green. Game time is set for 4 p.m. CST. After dropping Friday's series opener to Jax State, DBU claimed Saturday's contest, 10-6. The Patriots improved to 8-3 on the season.
It was on offensive day for both teams as the clubs combined for 31 total hits and scored 25 runs. Both pitching staffs struggled with consistency as DBU's four pitchers issued eight walks, but all of those came in the first 4.1 innings. DBU's Travis Stone picked up the win in relief after limiting JSU to one run and scattering six hits in 4.0 innings of work.
In mirror images of the first two games of the series, Jax State recorded runs early, scoring eight of its 11 through the first three innings. JSU took a 2-0 lead with RBI singles by junior
Trent Simpson and
Hayden White. Simpson joined junior
Clayton Daniel with three hits each in the setback. The Oxford, Alabama native also pitched a pair of innings late in the game. Simpson added a second RBI in JSU's two-run fifth inning.
DBU, who posted runs in every inning except the second and third, had a three-run first off of Jax State starter,
Colton Pate. Pate, making his second start of the week, lasted three innings and was touched for five runs on six hits. The Gamecocks gave him run support in the second with a two-run single by junior Nola Greckel to give JSU a 4-3 lead.
JSU expanded the lead to 8-3 after a four-run third that was highlighted by Daniel's two-out, two-run double to left. Greckel added an RBI along with junior
Taylor Hawthorne. Hawthorne added two more hits to his weekend total as he finished with eight hits in 14 at bats and drove in five runs.
The Patriots rallied again in the fourth to trim the deficit to 8-7. DBU's Tim Millard had the big hit in the frame with a single that drove in two runs. Millard was one of two Patriots to have three hits in the contest, joining Devlin Granberg. Millard and Grandberg combined for six RBI to lead DBU in the win.
With a one-run lead, the JSU offense extended the lead in the fifth after back-to-back RBI by Hawthorne and Simpson. Those two runs in the fifth put the Gamecocks up 10-7 before heading to the home half of the fifth.
JSU miscues in the field opened the door for DBU to equalize in the fifth with three runs thqat were aided by three of JSU's five errors in the final four at bats for DBU. All three runs in the fifth were unearned as just nine of DBU's 14 runs were earned.
DBU took the lead in the sixth after a JSU throwing error that sent two runners home and give the Patriots a 12-10 advantage. DBU added an unearned run in the seventh and a run in the eighth.
The Gamecocks tried to mount a comeback in the ninth as they loaded the bases, but were only able to register one run.
JSU's Tuesday contest with BGSU will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network. The Gamecocks and Falcons will open the 20-game home slate on Wednesday at Oxford's Choccolocco Park. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tickets are available online at JSUGamecockSports.com.
