LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Jacksonville State scored a season-high 17 runs to blow past New Mexico State, 17-12, on Thursday night in the opening game of the Conference USA series at Presley Askew Field on the NM State campus.
Thursday's game was played in extreme wind and dust conditions that's caused havoc on fly balls all throughout the ballpark. The win snapped a five-game losing skid for the Gamecocks and improved to 22-16 overall and 6-7 in CUSA contests. The Aggies dropped to 18-20 on the season and an identical CUSA mark as the Gamecocks. The win also was the first against the Aggies after they claimed all three last season in Jacksonville.
Jax State got off to a quick start offensively with a big first inning that saw five early runs. The inning was highlighted by four hits in the frame, including RBI singles from
Cooper Blauser,
Brady Thomas and
Grayson Ashe.
The offense continued to click with three runs in the third inning on
Matthew Cash's three-run home run. Cash's blast was the first of three home runs on the night for Jax State.
Ace Williamson belted a two-run blast in the Gamecocks' second five-run frame of the night to break the contest open after the Aggies trimmed the deficit to 8-6.
Williamson, who also played solid defense in centerfield, finished a double short of hitting for the cycle after a two-run single in the seventh. He added a triple in the eighth and needed one more plate appearance to attempt te record a double. His triple was Jax State's first away from The Jim this season and the first of the eighth inning as Coleton Hegwood pushed the club's season total to 15 on the season.
Williamson was one of six Gamecocks in the line up with multiple hits in the win.
Carson Hornung matched him with three hits, followed by multi-hit games from Blauser, Thomas, Ashe and Hegwood.
Jax State started
Austin Williamson in the opener since it was one day ahead of a regular schedule for the weekend rotation. Williams went the first 2.1 innings before
Karson Bonaparte matched his season-high for innings pitched with 5.0.
Jaxson Davis closed out the final 1.2 innings.
Due to another day with extreme winds and dust in the area, Friday's game two was pushed back to 7 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
