CARBONDALE, Ill. – Jacksonville State dropped the final game of the weekend series with Southern Illinois, 15-1, on Sunday afternoon at Itchy Jones Stadium.
The Salukis rallied late in the Friday night contest for a 7-6 decision in 10 innings before the Gamecocks bounced-back for a 9-6 win on Saturday.
There wasn't much luck in the Gamecocks' offense against SIU in the St. Patrick's Day matinee. SIU's starter Aidan Foeller tossed xx innings and held Jax State to the lone run. Sophomore
Bear Madliak provided the offense for the Gamecocks with a solo home run in the sixth inning. It was Madliak's second on the season. Both of those home runs have come during this week's action. Foeller finished with xx strikeouts. He did issue a pair of walks and hit a batter. Junior
Drew Collins was the first Gamecock to reach base in the third inning with a leadoff walk and swiped a pair of bases. Sophomore
Caleb Johnson extended his on-base streak the hard way with a hit-by-pitch in the fourth inning. He has reached base in all 19 games this season and 24 games dating back to the last five games of the 2023 season.
SIU collected 16 hits against the seven Gamecock pitchers used in the contest. Junior
Austin Cornelius was touched for four runs on eight hits and was saddled with the loss. SIU started strong with a run in the first inning and added three more in the third inning. SIU broke open the Sunday outing with a three-spot in the fourth inning. SIU added a pair of grand slams in the sixth inning to make its lead double digits.
The Gamecocks return home for a Spring Break midweek contest with the Bulldogs of Samford on Tuesday night. First pitch from Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium is set for 6 p.m. Tickets are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
Jax State will be looking to split the season home-and-home set with Samford after the Bulldogs claimed the first meeting in Birmingham on Feb. 20, 7-3.
Following the Samford tilt, the Gamecocks get back on the road to start their inaugural Conference USA season with a visit to Ruston, Louisiana to face Louisiana Tech in the conference opener. The series will start on Friday, March 22.
