RICHMOND, Ky. – The Jacksonville State baseball team dropped a key ASUN West Division doubleheader to Eastern Kentucky on a chilly Saturday at Earle Combs Stadium.

The Colonels moved into sole possession of first place of the division after scoring eight unanswered runs in the series opener to claim an 8-3 win and broke up a 2-2 contest late for a 5-3 decision in the nightcap. The Gamecocks will try to salvage the final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.

Jax State (21-24, 14-9 ASUN) got off to a great start in game one with a two-run home run by senior Cole Frederick in the first inning and a solo blast by freshman Brennen Norton in the second inning. After a quick 3-0 lead, EKU had one big inning offensively and held JSU off the scoreboard for the final seven innings. The Colonels posted six runs off a pair of hits and a JSU miscue opened the door for the big inning off of starter Reid Fagerstrom. He struggled with the strike zone for the 3.2 innings on the mound as he issued seven walks and allowed three hits.

The six runs was all EKU starter Rese Brown needed as he collected eight strikeouts in six complete innings to earn the win. Michael Schuler finished the last three frames with five strikeouts.

The EKU pitchers could not solve Norton in the opener as the Cullman, Alabama native started the day with three hits, including a double to go along with his second inning home run. Norton would finish the day with four hits in the twinbill and push JSU's second run of the nightcap across the plate after being plunked to pick up an RBI.

The Colonels' pitching staff maintained what they did in the opening nine innings into the second game by keeping the JSU offense off the scoreboard. After EKU's Max Williams was EKU's lone offense in the second game with solo home runs in the first and third innings, the Gamecocks erased the two-run deficit with Alex Carignan's RBI single and Norton's hit by pitch in the seventh.
JSU had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and less than one out, but EKU recorded a pair of its 13 strikeouts to get out of the jam. The Gamecocks had an opportunity for more runs in the seventh but EKU staved off the scoring threat.

Williams broke up the 2-all deadlock with his third solo home run over the short porch in right field with the first of three runs in the inning. Will King added a pair of insurance runs on a two-run RBI single.

EKU spoiled a sensational start by JSU's Isaiah Magwood on the mound. The Hazel Green, Alabama tight hander went a career-long 7.1 innings and accumulated 10 strikeouts. It was his second double digit strikeout contest as he fanned 11 versus North Alabama in March. He scattered six hit and gave up two free passes.

Jax State's final run of the evening came on a two-out solo home run by T.J. Reeves. Reeves and Carignan accounted for five of JSU's eight hits in the game. Carignan turned in a three-hit game in the nightcap to finish with four hits in the doubleheader.