MARTIN, Tenn. – Junior
Alex Carignan delivered four hits to lead Jacksonville State to a series-opening win over UT Martin, 6-1, on Friday evening at Skyhawk Field.
Carignan finished with two doubles, scored a pair of runs to highlight JSU's 20th win of the season and 10th in Ohio Valley Conference action. UTM dropped to 15-21 overall and 7-9 in OVC play. The two clubs will close out the weekend series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
The Gamecocks jumped on the scoreboard quickly with junior
Zeth Malcom's first career home run in the first inning of the contest. Malcom's home run set the tone for both the JSU pitching staff and offensive lineup.
Jax State switched up the weekend pitching rotation with
Isaiah Magwood starting the opening game of the weekend. He was able to pitch with a lead after Malcom's solo home run. Magwood was solid in the outing and pitched out of trouble in all five innings. The Skyhawks stranded nine on the base paths, including eight while Magwood was on the mound.
Magwood scattered six hits and collected five strikeouts in his return to the weekend rotation. He notched his first win of the season
The Gamecocks manufactured their second run in the fifth inning on Carignan's first of two doubles. He was pushed to third by an
Isaac Alexander fly ball and scored on a sacrifice fly from
Tanner Anderson. The RBI was Anderson's first of the season and he also added his first hit of the season in JSU's three-run seventh inning.
Carignan sparked the three runs in the seventh to break open the game with a leadoff double. Junior
Cole Frederick picked up an RBI on one of UTM's six errors in the game. The big hit came from senior
Alex Webb with a two-out, two-run double.
The five-run lead was enough for the JSU bullpen as junior
Jackson Tavel and senior
Kyle Luigs finished the final four innings with a pair of hits and the lone Skyhawk run in the seventh. Luigs collected his first save in a Gamecock uniform with three innings of work.
Junior
Christian Edwards will start the first game of the twinbill, followed by
Colin Casey taking the mound in the series finale.
Both games will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network.