OXFORD – Jacksonville State was opportunistic on Tuesday night in a 3-1 win over Kennesaw State at Choccolocco Park.
The win moved the Gamecocks to 9-3 on the season, which is the best start since the 2011 season. With 12 games under its belt, JSU now turns its attention to the 30-game Ohio Valley Conference slate, beginning on Friday at Choccolocco Park. Jax State will host Austin Peay. First pitch on Friday has been moved to 11 a.m. The series will continue on Saturday at 11 a.m. and two clubs will close out opening weekend of league play on Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network.
JSU started quickly with a two-run first inning, highlighted by junior Nic Gaddis. Gaddis, the reigning OVC Player of the Week after going 10-for-15 last week at UAB and over the weekend in Miami, Florida against Florida International, continued to swing a hot bat with a single in his first plate appearance, driving in the first run of the game. Gaddis drove in Nolan Greckel, who started the frame with a walk. In the last five games, the Trenton, Georgia native is hitting .611 (11-for-18) and pushed 11 runs across the plate. The catcher is not only carrying the club offensively, he threw out a pair of KSU runners on the base paths and handling the Gamecock pitchers.
Sophomore Andrew Naismith, who was in the designator hitter role on Tuesday, lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring JSU's second run of the first inning.
The two-run cushion was all the Gamecock arms needed as five different arms were used in the midweek affair. Redshirt freshman Sean Rape, who was making his sixth appearance of the season and second consecutive Tuesday night start, went the first three innings and allowed a pair of hits. The Alexander City, Alabama righty finished with a pair of strikeouts en route to picking up his first win in a Gamecock uniform. Freshman Christian Edwards pitched a pair of innings and was touched for the lone KSU run in the fifth. Jaylen Smith led off the frame with a solo home run to left field, but Edwards, from Hartselle, Alabama bounced back to strike out the side. Edwards fanned four in his two-inning stint.
Senior Grant Chandler made his 79 career appearance in a JSU uniform after one inning from junior Austin Brewer. Senior Trent Simpson collected his third save of the season with a four-out save opportunity.
With JSU nursing a 2-1 lead in the sixth, freshman Isaac Alexander drove in an insurance run with a two-out single to right center. Naismith reached base with a two-out walk and moved in to scoring position on a balk by the KSU pitcher. Making his JSU debut on Tuesday was freshman Alex Statchan. Statchan, a first baseman from Harvest Alabama, was credited with one of JSU's three hits on the night. He connected on a single to left in his first plate appearance.
The trio of KSU pitchers kept Jax State off balance throughout the contest with all three JSU hits coming off start Ryan Kennedy. Kennedy lasted 5.2 innings and collected five strike outs, but was hampered with four walks. Luke Tolbert and Max Ryan held the Gamecocks hitless in the final two innings.
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