JACKSONVILLE – After recording its NCAA-best fourth shutout of the season on Friday night, Jacksonville State put together its first come-from-behind win of the season on Saturday evening with an 8-7 win over Arkansas State on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
The Gamecocks clinched their third consecutive weekend series after erasing a 7-3 deficit through the top of the fifth inning. Jax State mounted a comeback with a pair of runs in the sixth inning and plated three unearned runs with two outs in the eighth inning to regain the lead.
Redshirt sophomore
Cooper Blauser drilled a two-run triple to right field in the sixth inning to trim the A-State advantage to 7-5, while senior
Carson Hornung drew a bases-loaded walk for the first of the three-run eighth, followed by a two-run single by junior
Grayson Ashe to put Jax State in the lead.
Jax State, who was limited to nine hits on the night by A-State pitching, had production from the bottom part of the line up with junior
Ace Williamson and junior
Colton Hegwood. Hegwood finished the night with three hits and reached base four times with a key walk in Jax State's eighth inning. Williamson added a pair of hits in the victory and scored two runs.
Junior
Brice Deaton quieted the A-State offense for 2.2 innings by scattering three hits and keeping the Gamecocks within reach of the Red Wolves. The Pontotoc, Mississippi native notched his first win at Jax State. Another Magnolia state product,
Joe Scarborough turned in a clean ninth inning to register his second save of the season.
The Gamecocks took the early lead with RBI singles from senior
Drew Collins and junior
Caleb Johnson in the third. Jax State added another run in the fourth after a Williamson triple and a Hegwood RBI single. Jax State added two more triples to its season totals for 11 on the season, which also leads NCAA Division I baseball.
Jax State will look to complete the three-game sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are available online at JaxStateSports.com. Sunday's are 'Fun Days' at The Jim with kids 12 years and younger having an opportunity to run the bases following the series finale. Sunday is also Youth Sports Day as area youth teams are encouraged to come out to the ball park in their team jersey.
Sunday's action will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
