JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State baseball team wrapped up the weekend series with Florida International with a doubleheader split on Saturday at Rudy Abbott Field at
Jim Case Stadium.
After falling in a classic pitchers duel, 2-1, on Friday night to FIU, the JSU (5-7) bounced back to force a series-deciding contest with a 3-1 win in the first game of the day. FIU closed out the three games within 48 hours with a 5-2 decision and claim the non-conference series. FIU improved to 5-5 overall with the win in the night cap.
In the opener, junior
Alex Webb collected the big hit of the contest with a double to left field, scoring the two go-ahead runs in the fifth inning. JSU strung together four hits in the inning, including a leadoff double by
Carson Crowe. Crowe scored the first run of the inning on
Chase Robinson's single to right field.
FIU's lone run came in the third on Austin Shenton's RBI single off of Jax State starter
Trey Fortner. Fortner recorded his first win as a Gamecock after going 5.0 innings. The redshirt freshman from Gloucester, Virginia scattered six hits in the outing.
Colin Casey,
Jackson Tavel and
Christian Edwards finished the last four innings and the quartet limited FIU to one hit. Edwards notched his third save of the season and third in the last five games. The Hartselle, Alabama closer tallied a save against UAB and Troy in the midweek.
Webb,
Isaac Alexander and Crowe ended the first game with multiple hits. Alexander concluded the day at the park with four hits as he carded a pair of singles in the second game.
In the second game, JSU took the first lead of the game in the second inning with a two-out solo home run to straight centerfield off the bat of
Taylor Craven. The dinger was his fourth of the season, which leads the club. JSU took a 2-1 lead on junior
Devin Brown's sacrifice fly to right field.
FIU equalized in the third with an unearned run as John Rodriguez doubled in the run. The Panthers put together three consecutive two-out hits, highlighted by a two-run home run by Javier Valdes in the sixth.
The Panthers added an insurance run in the eighth on a fielders choice.
The Gamecocks had chances throughout the game to add more runs, but stranded 10 base runners on the base paths, while the FIU's pitchers fanned 10 JSU hitters in the second game.
Tyler Wilburn was saddled with the loss, while FIU starter Christian Santana earned the win.
JSU returns to action with another busy week with two midweek contests and the beginning of Ohio Valley Conference play next weekend. The Bulldogs of Samford will make their yearly visit to Rudy Abbott Field at
Jim Case Stadium on Tuesday, March 5. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. The Gamecocks will travel to nationally-ranked Georgia on Wednesday, March 6. The UGA match will get started at Foley Field in Athens at 4 p.m. EST.
Jax State will entertain Eastern Illinois in its first OVC weekend. For season tickets and individual game tickets log on to JSUGamecockSports.com. All JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
