OXFORD – Jacksonville clinched the non-conference weekend series at Choccolocco Park on Saturday with a 17-6 win over Jacksonville State.
The two clubs will close out the series on Sunday with the Gamecocks (12-8) looking to avoid a weekend sweep at the hands of the Dolphins (15-9). The last time JSU was swept in a non-conference series at home was the opening weekend of the 2008 campaign. The series finale is set for 1 p.m. in Oxford. Admission is free for all JSU students and all fans 18 years old and younger.
The 17 runs allowed by Jax State was a season-high as a season high in walks attributed to the high-scoring affair for JU. The five pitchers used by JSU issued nine walks and six of those turned in to runs. The Dolphins touched Gamecock arms for 16 hits in the contest, including five doubles and three home runs. JU jumped on the board early with a five-run second with runs scored coming on long balls that left the yard quickly in a swift breeze to left field at Choccolocco Park. The Dolphins extended the lead to 8-0 after the top of the third with a three spot.
The Gamecocks put together their best inning against JU starter, Tyler Santana in their half of the third. After back-to-back RBI by seniors Taylor Hawthorne and Trent Simpson, sophomore Andrew Naismith cut the deficit in half with his second home run of the series. Naismith, who had a solo home run on Friday in JSU's rally in the ninth to send it to extra innings, belted a two-run round tripper off of Santana. The Auburn, Alabama native played in right field on Saturday for the first time at JSU. The four-run third would be all JSU could get off of Santana as he worked seven innings and scattered eight hits.
JU expanded the lead in the fourth and broke the game open late a four-run seventh and a ninth. JU delivered back-to-back doubles in the seventh to highlight the inning, while all four runs in the ninth were scored on a grand slam.
Hawthorne was the only Gamecock to record multiple hits off of the three pitchers used by the Dolphins. The Prattville, Alabama native tallied his fourth home run of the season in the eighth. JSU played a run in the ninth on an RBI walk with the bases loaded by Nolan Greckel.
Senior Colton Pate will get the nod for the Gamecocks on Sunday, while the Dolphins have not announced their pitching plans for the final outing of the weekend.
