JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State started ASUN conference action with a 14-1 thumping of newcomer Queens on Friday night on a soggy Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
The Gamecocks, who won their fourth in a row, pounded out 24 hits in a seven inning contest due to the new 10-rule after seven innings implemented by the ASUN for the 2023 season. The 24 hits by Jax State is the most since a 31-hit barrage against Belmont on April 30, 2016. The 14 runs scored is a season-high for the Gamecocks and the most since a 16-run performance last season versus North Alabama.
The offensive onslaught overshadowed a complete game performance by sophomore pitcher
AJ Causey. It's the first compete game by a Gamecock pitcher since Colton Pate tossed a nine-inning complete game against Southeast Missouri in the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford. Causey scattered four hits and one runs against the Royals. The Harvest, Alabama righty posted three strikeouts and walked just one in his fifth start of the season. Causey also fielded his position with five putouts on the night and induced 14 ground ball outs in his 27 batters faced.
Jax State broke open a 5-1 contest in the sixth inning with a nine-run explosion. In the inning, the Gamecocks tallied 11 of the 24 hits and sent 14 hitters to plate in the lengthy inning. The first five Gamecocks reached with singles before the first of four doubles in the inning by senior
T.J. Reeves. Freshman
Will Fincher, senior
Carson Crowe and freshman
Bear Madliak all had doubles in the inning. Freshman
Michael Dallas added his second home run of the season in the frame.
The nine runs scored in the inning is the most by Jax State it crossed the dish 13 times in the seventh inning of its game with Eastern Illinois on March 29, 2014.
JSU had eight of its nine hitters collect multiple hits, led by Madliak's four-hit night from the lead off spot. Since moving to the top of the order prior to the start of the South Alabama series, the catcher from Carrollton, Georgia is 14-of-25, including five doubles and has driven in six runs. Junior Javion Hernandez turned in his second straight four-hit night after carding four hits in last Tuesday's win over third0ranked Ole Miss. Hernandez had two of his four hits as bunt singles. Madliak has strung together a seven-game hitting streak, while Hernandez has a hit in the last five games.
Junior
Mason Maners extended his on-base streak to 30 consecutive games with two hits and reaching on a fielder's choice. Reeves recorded his 11 multi-hit game of the season and his third three-hit contest with a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. The tandem of Maners and Reeves have reached base in all 18 games this season.
Crowe collected a three-hit night in the line up as the designated hitter. Fincher and
Diego Gines added a pair of hits on the night. Sophomore
Brennen Norton had just one hit, but it was a key two-out, two-run double to extend the Gamecocks lead in the three-run fifth.
The two teams return to action on Saturday with a new start time of 3 p.m. Tickets are available online at JSUGamecockSPorts.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
