JACKSONVILLE—Jax State pitching turned in a solid performance to take the first of a three-game series with Akron.
Five Gamecock arms combined for 11 strikeouts and allowed just three hits in a 3-1 victory on Friday.
Jax State scored the first two runs of the game on an RBI double by Colton Hegwood in the bottom of the second, scoring Brady Thomas who led off the inning with a single to center field and Ace Williamson who singled to right.
Starting pitcher Jackson Phipps did not factor into the decision, departing after 4.1 innings with eight strikeouts. The first hit he allowed was a one-out RBI double to right field on his 94th and final pitch of the day.
"I thought he looked good," said coach Steve Bieser of Phipps. "We extended his pitch account pretty high, got him up to 90, but you could kind of see him labor in there in the last 10-15, pitches. But he competed really well."
Grayson Knight came in to record a strikeout and popout to end the threat by the Zips in the fifth. He earned his first win of the season with 3.1 scoreless frames with two strikeouts and allowed just two hits.
"He really competes well," said Bieser of Knight. "His stuff's good. He's got two different fastballs and he can shape change shapes on his breaking ball, and then he's got a good change up. So, he's a guy that could really easily be a starter in our program and right now we see him in that role of just piggybacking guys that maybe only get four and we're going to get three or four innings from him and they're going to be really solid."
Cooper Blauser led off the seventh with a double and came around to score on a throwing error at first with two outs.
Akron loaded the bases in the eighth, but Owen Arndt came in a coaxed a fly ball which was tracked down by Ace Williamson with a sliding catch heading toward the warning track to keep the Gamecocks up two.
Joe Scarbourough secured the save allowing just a leadoff walk in a scoreless ninth.
Game two of the series will be played on Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch. Tickets are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
