CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois evened the weekend series with Jacksonville State with a 9-5 decision on Saturday at Coaches Stadium on the EU campus.
EIU's win forces a rubber game on Sunday between the two clubs at 1 p.m. The loss drops JSU to 11-6 overall and 2-3 in Ohio Valley Conference play, while the Panthers picked up their first league win and improved to 8-9 overall. The Gamecocks blanked the Panthers, 11-0, on Friday.
Similar to Friday, Jax State jumped all over EIU's starting pitching early and for the second day, the Panther pitcher did not survive out of the second inning. The EIU bullpen did its job of handcuffing the JSU line up the rest of the way as it did not allow a hit over the next seven innings. JSU touched EIU's Carson Haws for five runs in the second inning on three hits. The highlights of the inning were back-to-back home runs by a pair of freshmen. Shortstop Isaac Alexander cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left center, followed by Cole Frederick's solo blast to left field. It was Frederick's second dinger of the weekend as he belted a home run in Friday's win. The back-to-back home runs were the first for JSU since 2016 when former Gamecocks Tyler Gamble and Paschal Petrongolo hit consecutive home runs on May 15 at Morehead State.
After the Gamecocks chased Haws in the second, senior Trent Simpson had the lone hit off of EIU reliever Jack Wolfe. Simpson had an RBI single to left field to close out the big inning.
Wolfe went the next six innings and posted five strikeouts and allowed just two base runners via walk in his outing. EIU's Michael Starcevich pitched the final two innings and fanned five more Gamecocks.
EIU used the long ball in its comeback effort and answered JSU's five-run frame with three runs in the home half. EIU's Dougie Parks, who had two home runs on the day, touched JSU's Colton Pate for a two-run homer, followed by Hunter Morris' solo round tripper off of Pate. EIU would make it a new ballgame with Parks' second home run of the day and evening the contest with two runs in the forth. Pate, who was moved up a day in the rotation, was touched for nine hits and five runs in a no decision. He posted six strikeouts in the outing.
Senior Grant Chandler worked a clean sixth before Redshirt sophomore Tyler Wilburn started the seventh. Wilburn allowed a one-out walk, which eventually would score the go-ahead run and give EIU the momentum.
EIU broke up the deadlock with three runs in the seventh and added a run in the eighth.
Sunday's game will be available on the OVC Digital Network.
