OXFORD – Redshirt sophomore Garrett Farmer turned in a career high 12 strikeouts and senior Clayton Daniel collected three hits to lead Jacksonville State to a 9-3 win over UT Martin on Friday night in the opening game of the Ohio Valley Conference weekend series at Choccolocco park.
The Gamecocks improved to 25-21 overall and 14-11 in OVC play, while the Skyhawks dropped to 10-36 on the season and 6-19 in league games. JSU has now won 21 of the last 24 meetings with UTM dating back to 2011. The final OVC home series continues on Saturday with a start time of 3 p.m. Jax State will honor its seven seniors prior to the start of the contest.
Farmer, who went 8.0 innings for the third time this season, was economical on the mound en route to notching his sixth win of the season. The Huntsville, Alabama native scattered 10 UTM hits and allowed three runs. He was one strikeout from matching a season high for strikeouts in a single game this season by an OVC pitcher. Tennessee Tech's Marcus Evey fanned 13 Skyhawks on March 9. Farmer now has three OVC games in which he has posted double digit strikeouts. His previous career high was 10 against Southeast Missouri on April 13 and the following Friday at Belmont.
Daniel's chase for the program's all-time career hits record and the OVC's career hits mark reached single digits with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate. He now has accumulated 314 career hits and is chasing former Gamecock Bert Smith, who has the program and league all-time mark of 323 career hits. The Guntersville, Alabama infielder broke JSU's career doubles record last weekend at Morehead State, a record held by former Gamecock Sam Eberle (62) and tied the OVC's all-time double mark in a career on Wednesday against Samford. He matched former Southeast Missouri standout Jeremy Johnson's record of 65. Johnson has held the record since 2000.
It didn't take long for Daniel to become the all-time leader in doubles as a player in the OVC with a bases-clearing double to centerfield to cap off a seven-run first inning for the Gamecocks. JSU took advantage of UTM starter, Dom Bazzani's ineffectiveness. JSU chased him in the first inning after issuing five walks and a two RBI double by senior Trent Simpson. Daniel's two-bagger came off of UTM reliever Austen Bullington. Bullington did a good job of saving the UTM bullpen with seven complete innings and allowed seven Jax State hits and a pair of runs.
JSU extended the lead to 8-1 in the third on Daniel's second double of the day. The final run recorded by the Gamecocks came in the eighth as senior Hayden White had a pinch hit RBI single. The hit extended his on-base streak to 30 games.
Simpson and Isaac Alexander joined Daniel to combine for seven of the nine hits by JSU. UTM out-hit Jax State10-9. Simpson and Alexander each had a two-hit game.
Junior Austin Brewster pitched the ninth and tallied a pair of strikeouts. Farmer and Brewster combined for 14 strikeouts.
Saturday's game will be available on the OVC Digital Network, but it will not be aired on the Gamecock Sports Network due to Jax State softball's run to the championship round of the 2018 OVC Softball Championships. Free admission to all JSU students fans 18 years old and younger.
