JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State powered its way to its fourth Conference USA series win after blasting Sam Houston, 21-10, on Saturday night at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
The win secured the Gamecocks' second consecutive league series after claiming last weekend's series at New Mexico State. Jax State now has series wins over Liberty, Kennesaw State, NM State and after Saturday's thumping, SHSU after taking Friday's series opener, 9-6. Jax State will be looking for its first CUSA sweep of the season when the two clubs wrap up the series on Sunday. First pitch is set for 11:30 a.m.
It was a back-and-forth contest over a three-inning span from the third to the sixth. The Gamecocks erased a 4-0 deficit with a six-run third. The Bearkats answered with four runs in the fourth to take an 8-6 lead. Junior
Carson Hornung, who was a triple shy of the cycle, belted a two-run home run to even the contest at 8-all after four innings. SHSU plated its ninth run the following inning on an RBI triple.
A
Drew Collins single matched the Bearkats for the second time before Hornung recorded a two-run double to give Jax State a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the night. SHSU trimmed the deficit to 11-10 in the sixth.
Jax State's offense exploded with a seven-run seventh inning, highlighted by an RBI double from
Grayson Ashe, who had four of the Gamecocks' 16 hits on the night. The catcher from Montgomery, Alabama had two doubles and a pair of singles versus Bearkat pitching.
Junior
Brady Thomas capped off the contest with a towering three-run blast to end it on the 10-run mercy rule. It's the seventh straight game that Jax State has had a home run recorded.
Junior
Jaxson Davis picked up his first win as a Gamecock with one inning of work. Junior
Trevor Caldwell collected his first Jax State save after completing the final 2.1 innings.
Collins, Horning and
Colton Hegwood joined Ashe with multiple hits in the win and eight-of-the-nine Gamecocks in the lineup had at least a hit.
Jax State's Rudy Abbott Field at
Jim Case Stadium will have a Truist Park flavor on Sunday as the series concludes. Matthew Kaminski, the famed organist for the Braves and can be heard throughout Truist Park, will be playing tunes throughout Sunday's contest with the Bearkats. Kaminski is making his third trip to The Jim as he has performed during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Sunday is also 'Bark in the Park' at The Jim on Sunday. Fans will be allowed to bring their four-legged friends to the park for the morning contest. All dogs must be on a leash in the stadium.
Tickets are available at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
