COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Three big innings for Tennessee Tech were the difference in Jacksonville State's 11-7 loss to the Golden Eagles at Bush Stadium in Cookeville.
JSU dropped all three games to the Ohio Valley Conference frontrunner and fell to 16-13 overall and 6-6 in league play. Tech, who won the series opener on Friday and Saturday's contest in walk-off fashion, improved to 25-5 on the season and 14-1 against OVC foes.
Tech turned in a five-run first inning and a four-run fifth inning for all nine runs on its side of the scoreboard. The Golden Eagles used the long ball in all three run-scoring frames, including two home runs in the first inning. TTU's Alex Junior opened the game with a solo home run off of JSU starter Colton Pate. After a pair of singles and walk, David Garza cleared the bases with a grand slam.
After first inning trouble, Pate settled in to hold Tech from expanding the lead and to give the Gamecocks' offense to dig out of the early hole. JSU began to chip away the deficit right away with a run in the top of the second. Senior Trent Simpson started the inning with a base hit and scored on an RBI bunt single by senior Nolan Greckel.
JSU started a two-out rally off of Tech's Alex Hursey with two singles and loaded the bases with a walk issued to senior Taylor Hawthorne. Junior Nic Gaddis delivered his first hit of the weekend in a big way as the first pitch he saw in the at bat, he sent it over the left field wall for a grand slam and equalizing Tech. The bases-clearing round tripper is the second of Gaddis' career and the second this week by the Gamecocks. He turned in a grand slam last season against Morehead State at Choccolocco Park. Senior Hayden White posted a grand slam against Troy last Wednesday.
The 5-5 deadlock was short-lived as TTU put together a two-out rally off of Pate. After Pate retired the first two batters, a double in to the left field corner ignited the inning. Garza added his fifth RBI of the day with an RBI single to break up the knotted score. The inning continued with a walk to set up Zell Walker's three-run home run to left field. The fourth and final Tech home run came in the eighth with a two-run home run by Chase Chambers.
Tech inserted Ethan Roberts in the fourth after the game was tied by Gaddis. He kept Jax State off the board until the ninth as White tallied a two-out RBI double. Daniel collected an RBI with his third hit of the contest after White's extra base hit.
Senior Clayton Daniel was the lone Gamecock with multiple hits with a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Daniel finished the weekend with seven hits against TTU pitching. The Guntersville, Alabama infielder has carded a hit in his last 25 OVC games and has at least a hit in 93 OVC games-played and has reached base in 95 league games in his career.
The Gamecocks return to action next weekend, hosting the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri in an OVC weekend series at Choccolocco Park. The series will get started on Friday at 6 p.m. The series will continue on Saturday and Sunday, both getting underway at 1 p.m.
