CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Jacksonville State will enter the final weekend of Ohio Valley Conference play in a tie for the final spot in the conference's postseason event after splitting a Saturday doubleheader with Austin Peay.
The Gamecocks bounced back from Friday's 8-7 series-opening setback to even the series with a 10-4 win over the Governors, but fell in the rubber contest, 5-0. APSU claimed the series with the win and will have the edge over Jax State going into the final OVC weekend by holding the tiebreaker with the series win. JSU will wrap up its final OVC weekend by hosting the Panthers of Eastern Illinois on Thursday (May 20) and Friday (May 21) at Rudy Abbott Field at
Jim Case Stadium. Thursday's series opener is set for 6 p.m., while Friday's action will get started at 1 p.m. Tickets are available online at JSUGamecockSports.com and all JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
JSU got off to a great start like it did on Friday with a pair of home runs in the first plate appearance. Junior
Zeth Malcom blasted a solo home run to the deepest part of Raymond C. Hand Park for the first run, while sophomore
Carson Crowe delivered a two-run home run over the left field wall. The Gamecocks would add a run in the second with an
Alex Webb RBI, followed by an
Isaac Alexander RBI in the third.
The Gamecocks gave starter
Kyle Luigs a lead to work with and he responded by going a career-best 5.1 innings of work. Luigs, making his second consecutive start on the weekend, scattered five APSU hits, three runs – two unearned runs and posted a pair of strikeouts. Luigs picked up his third win as a Gamecock after the bullpen held the lead for the Richmond Hill, Georgia native. Junior
Trey Fortner and
Jackson Tavel maintained the lead before senior
Corley Woods finished the final 1.2 innings for his seventh save.
JSU broke open a one-run, 5-4 lead with five runs in the ninth inning. Junior
Cole Frederick connected on his second ninth inning home run to start the frame and a bases-clearing double by
Isaac Alexander highlighted the big inning. Frederick and Crowe finished with multiple hits in the contest while Alexander turned in four RBI. The junior shortstop added his fifth RBI of the day with a run-scoring single in the eighth inning of the nightcap.
In the nightcap, the Gamecocks fell behind early after APSU put two runs in the first and added single runs in the third, fifth and seventh. The Govs pitching staff kept JSU off the scoreboard until Alexander's RBI in the eighth. JSU had traffic on the base paths throughout the contest but could not come up with key hits to drive in runs. The Gamecocks stranded 14 on the bases and were 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position.
Junior
Alex Carignan finished the second game with two of JSU's seven hits.
Before JSU faces EIU, it will travel to Starkville, Mississippi to face nationally ranked Mississippi State on Tuesday. First pitch from Dudy Noble Field is set for 6:30 p.m. The final non-conference outing will be available on the SEC Network+, the online platform of the SEC Network. The game will also be carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
