BIRMINGHAM – The Jacksonville State baseball team dropped its first contest of the season with a 9-3 setback to Samford on Tuesday night at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
The Gamecocks dropped to 3-1 on the season after opening the season with three straight wins over Southern Illinois on the opening weekend of the campaign. Samford, who knocked off nationally-ranked Central Florida on Sunday, carried over the momentum from the big win to push its overall mark to 2-2.
The Bulldogs' offense was sparked by that momentum as they scored all nine runs in the first four frames, including a six-run third inning to break open a 1-0 contest. Samford accumulated 13 of its 14 hits off the first three Gamecock hurlers, including seven hits off of starter Cody Willingham. Willingham lasted two-plus innings and was touched for five runs on seven Samford hits. SU put together six hits in the frame, including a two-run home run by Anthony Mulrine. Troy Dixon plated a pair of runs on a single.
SU expanded the lead in the fourth with a leadoff home run by Jordan Fucci and Dixon registered another RBI in the inning. Fucci and Dixon had multiple hits in the win, while Dixon and Mulrine drove in three runs each.
Trailing 9-0, the Gamecocks put together a productive inning with just one hit in the fifth inning. JSU put the first of three runs on the board with an RBI by freshman Isaac Alexander, who reached base via a fielding error by the Bulldogs. Alexander drove in junior Nic Gaddis, who had the only hit in the inning, a double to left field. It was his fourth double in the first three games by the catcher from Trenton, Georgia. Junior Matthew Hammers was credited with an RBI on a fielder's choice, while senior Daniel Clayton's ground out pushed the third run across the dish. The Gamecocks threatened for more with the bases loaded, but the Bulldogs were able to thwart the Jax State comeback.
Gaddis added another hit in the eighth with a single through the left side.
SU starter Hamp Skinner tossed the first four innings and was touched for all three JSU runs. The Bulldogs used five pitchers with all six recording a strikeout. SU pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts.
Jax State sent six pitchers to the mound and saw some bright spots from the final three that saw action, Redshirt freshman Sean Rape pitched a pair of innings, while junior Faleniko Teofilo and freshman Colin Casey pitched the seventh and eighth.
JSU will welcome the Highlanders of Radford to Oxford, Alabama this weekend in a three-game weekend set at Choccolocco Park. The series will get started on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m., followed by 1 p.m. start times on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The Friday and Sunday games will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network.
