OXFORD – The Jacksonville State baseball team rallied in the ninth to force extra innings, but Jacksonville staved off a second comeback in the 10th to take the opening game of the weekend series, 6-4, on Friday night at Choccolocco Park.
The Gamecocks dropped to 12-7 overall, while JU moved to 14-9 on the season. The Gamecocks will look to bounce back on Saturday as they two clubs continue the non-conference set at 1 p.m. in Oxford. Admission is free for all JSU students and all fans 18 years old and younger. The contest will also be available on WVOK 97.9 FM and online at JSUGamecockSports.com.
After a tough week off the field for JSU with the devastation caused by a tornado that hit campus, Jax State looked for a return to normalcy. The Gamecocks put together a thrilling final at-bat in the ninth, highlighted by a pair of home runs by sophomore Andrew Naismith and freshman Alex Strachan to erase a 4-1 deficit. Naismith, who was the only Gamecock to have multiple hits against JU pitching, belted a one-out solo home run to right field to spark the inning. It was Naismith's first home run since opening day. After senior catcher Hayden White drew a two-out walk off of JU closer Chris Mauloni, Strachan was called upon in a pinch-hit role. The Harvest, Alabama native equalized with his first career home run off of Mauloni. It was the second pinch hit home run by the Gamecocks this season.
The JSU momentum was quickly minimized as a leadoff walk started the bounce-back inning for the Dolphins. Sophomore Corley Woods, the fourth of five JSU pitchers on the night walked the leadoff man before senior Trent Simpson was summoned from the bullpen. JU regained the lead on an RBI single to centerfield by Chris Lehane. JU added a second run with another RBI base hit by Angel Camacho. Camacho finished the game 4-for-5 and a pair of RBI.
Jax State tried to mount its second comeback of the night with a pair of runners on base, but Mauloni worked out of the jame for his second win of the season. Woods (0-1) suffered the loss for JSU.
For the first seven innings it was a typical Friday night pitchers duel by JSU's Garrett Farmer and JU's Chris Gau. Farmer went the first five innings and was touched for three of JU's 11 total hits. The Dolphins put together a two-run second off of Farmer to take the lead and it looked like the two runs would hold up as Gau lasted seven innings and allowed one run on six JSU hits. Farmer, who went 7.2 innings last week, was effective again with seven strikeouts.
JSU answered in its half of the second with an RBI single by senior catcher Hayden White. The Gamecocks, who stranded seven on the night, could not push the tying run at third home with no outs. Gau fanned a pair and ended the threat with a ground ball out. JU had ample chances of extending the lead throughout the game, but the Gamecocks were able to get out of the jams. JSU was 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position and stranded 14 base runners.
JSU will send junior Derrick Adams to the mound on Saturday after a return to his sophomore form kind of outing last week at EIU. JU will counter with Tyler Santana.
