MACON, Ga. – Jacksonville State's four-game winning streak came to a halt on Wednesday evening with a 7-2 setback to Mercer at OrthoGeorgia Park.
The Bears (18-4), off to one of the hottest starts in NCAA Division I Baseball, tallied solo runs in each of the first six innings to build a lead that the Gamecocks (8-11) could not surpass as the Bears' five pitchers handcuffed the offense with just five hits by the Gamecocks. MU's staff collected 14 strikeouts on the night.
MU started the solo runs with a home run in the first inning and another home run in fourth inning. MU's Treyson Hughes and Colby Thomas turned in home runs in the contest. The Bears rank second in NCAA Division I Baseball in total home runs with 46 on the season after Wednesday night. The Bears manufactured runs in the second and third after getting the leadoff man on base. A sacrifice fly by Antonio Brown plated a run in the sixth.
Jax State's offense off the bat of junior
Carson Crowe in the fourth inning. Crowe cut a 3-0 deficit to a run with a two-run home run down the right field line. The inning started with a single by
T.J. Reeves just ahead Crowe's plate appearance. Reeves has now2 hit safely in 18-of-the-19 games this season. Senior
Alex Strachan had a base hit in the fourth as well. JSU did not have a runner reach base until an
Isaac Alexander single in the eighth. Alexander extended his hitting streak to seven consecutive games. Senior
Luke Coker registered a pinch-hit single in the ninth.
Sophomore
Jake Peppers got the start on the mound on Wednesday with 3.1 innings of work. Peppers was touched for the first four runs and posted three strikeouts. Junior
Caleb Marsh, junior
Trevor Andrews, freshman
Austin Cornelius and sophomore
Blake Bennett saw action in relief.
The two clubs will meet again in Jacksonville on Rudy Abbott Field at
Jim Case Stadium on April 27.
Jax State shifts the focus back on ASUN play this weekend as it welcomes in-state rival North Alabama to campus for a three-game series. Game one of the series is set for Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m. The series will continue with a 6 p.m. Saturday contest. JSU and UNA will conclude the series with a 1 p.m. matinee outing. Tickets are available online at JSUGamecockSports.com and all JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
