JACKSONVILLE—Eight runs in the first two innings set the tone for Jax State in a 9-6 victory over Sam Houston in the first game of a three-game weekend series.
The start of the game was delayed nearly two hours after a storm rolled through the area just before first pitch, but the hosts wasted no time getting the offense going. Jax State (25-17, 8-8 CUSA) went 6-for-7 with two walks the first time through the lineup, sending 12 to the plate in a six-run first.
"Offensively, I thought we really took concentrated, focus at bats and did what we needed to do in our first inning get that lead," said coach Steve Bieser.
The first pitch Drew Collins saw to lead off the bottom of the first hit off the top of the wall and bounced over for his fifth home run of the season to put the Gamecocks on the board first. Three batters later, Brady Thomas smashed his third homer of the year to right to make it 3-0 to bring home Carson Hornung who singled.
Caleb Johnson ripped a bases-loaded single to right with one out to make it 4-0 and was followed by a Colton Hegwood RBI single. Collins hit a sacrifice fly to left in his second at bat of the first for his 27th RBI of the season for the sixth run of the inning.
Johnson drove in two more with a two-out single through the right side in the second to push the lead to eight.
Starting pitcher Jackson Phipps didn't allow his first hit of the game until the Bearkats picked up two to start the fourth. A passed ball with two outs in the fourth gave Sam Houston its first run of the contest. A two-run single to right followed to make it 8-3.
Phipps did not factor into the decision, allowing two earned runs on four hits over four innings of work with six strikeouts and four walks.
After the quick start, the Gamecocks were held off the scoreboard the next five innings.
The Bearkats (8-34, 2-14 CUSA) cut the deficit to three with a two-run homer by Hunter Autrey for his team-leading seventh of the season. A sacrifice fly by Autrey in the top of the seventh got the guests within two at 8-6.
In the bottom of the seventh, Johnson led off with his fourth hit of the game and was sacrificed over by Colton Hegwood, but was left stranded at second after a pair of fly outs to left field.
"We've been waiting to see that, and now he just has to start stacking on it," said Bieser of Johnson. "Hopefully he'll relax a little bit, breathe and feel a little bit better about himself because he's been beat himself up for a while."
The Gamecocks finally responded with a one-out RBI single by Ace Williamson for his third hit of the night to push the lead back to three at 9-6.
Out of the bullpen, Karson Bonaparte struck out three over 2.1 innings of work, allowing two earned on three hits to pick up his third win of the year. Jackson Sleeper worked the final 2.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts for his fourth save of the year.
"He's locked in," said Bieser of Sleeper. "He is making good pitches and attacking hitters, and has a lot of confidence. He's just coming right at guys and that's really nice to see."
The teams will continue the series Saturday evening with a 6 p.m. first pitch at Jim Case Stadium. Jax State announced following Friday's game that the Sunday contest has been moved to 11:30 a.m. due to SHSU's travel schedule.
