NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jacksonville State staked redshirt sophomore Garrett Farmer with an early 4-0 lead on Friday and Farmer turned in another stellar performance in JSU's 4-3 series-opening win over Belmont on Friday night at Rose Park.
The Gamecocks picked up win No. 20 on the season and improved to 9-7 in Ohio Valley Conference play as the series in the Music City started the second half of conference play. The Bruins dropped 14-23 overall and 9-10 in league play. With impending weather forecasted for Sunday, the two clubs will wrap up the three-game set within a span of 24 hours with a doubleheader on Saturday. The first game of the twinbill will get underway at 1 p.m.
JSU scored a pair of runs in each of the first two at bats and Farmer scattered three Belmont runs in his second consecutive start in which he went eight innings. Junior Nic Gaddis put the Gamecocks on the board quickly with the only extra base hot of the contest as he connected on a one-out two-run home run just inside the left field foul pole. Gaddis' fourth home run of the season pushed senior Taylor Hawthorne home after the first of a two-hit game for Hawthorne. Hawthorne has now reached base in 17 straight games and in 33 of the 34 games this season. The Prattville, Alabama native has reached safely in 55 of the last 56 games dating back to last season.
A string of three consecutive hits off of Bruin starter Tyler Vaughn set up the pair of runs by JSU in the second inning. Senior Clayton Daniel had an RBI on a ground ball that was not played correctly in the infield and allowed both runs to cross the dish. It was a trio of freshman that set up the run-scoring chance for the Gamecocks as Isaac Alexander, Cole Frederick and Alex Strachan started the inning with singles. Alexander joined Hawthorne with a pair of hits.
After establishing a new career mark in strikeouts last Friday against Southeast Missouri, Farmer turned in a mirror outing. The reigning OVC Pitcher of the Week put together another gem on the mound. The Huntsville, Alabama-right hander matched his career high in strikeouts that was set last Friday. Farmer fanned 10 Bruins and issued just two free passes. He was touched for seven of the Bruins' hits in eight innings of work. Against SEMO, he went eight complete innings. In his last two starts, Farmer has compiled 16 strikeouts and allowed three runs, two earned runs and an earned run average of 1.16. Opposing batters hit .164 against him. He improved to 5-0 on the season and earned his fourth win in OVC action. In OVC starts, Farmer has complied 44 strikeouts in 40.2 innings and 13 total runs for an ERA of 2.66.
Simpson closed it out to notch his sixth save of the season.
The Bruins scored two of their three runs with two-out RBI with runs in the third, fifth and eighth. The run in the fifth inning was the only run scored with less than two outs. Belmont received RBI from Matt Cogan, Chas Hadden and Cully Day. Day was the lone Bruin to have two hits off of Jax State pitching.
JSU will send Derrick Adams to the mound in game one of the doubleheader and Colton pate will pitch the final game of the series. Both games will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network.
