JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State dropped the final game of the weekend series with Sam Houston, 12-4, on Sunday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
The win by the Bearkats snapped a lengthy losing streak and for the second consecutive weekend, the Gamecocks were denied of a Conference USA sweep after winning the first two games at New Mexico State last weekend and the Friday and Saturday contests with SHSU.
Timely hitting was the story line for the series finale as the Bearkats scored all 12 runs with two outs. SHSU, similar to Saturday's outing, jumped ahead on a pair of two- run home runs by its leadoff hitter Brady Christensen. Christensen added his second home runoff the weekend with a two-run blast in the third and capped off the weekend with another two-run home run in the fifth inning.
Jax State answered with a
Drew Collins RBI single in the fifth inning. Collins was the lone Gamecock to solve SHSU pitcher Cam Diaz as he collected three hits off the Bearkat pitcher in the first five innings. Collins started the game with a double, followed by singles in back-to-back plate appearances. Collins finished 7-for-12 on the weekend with five RBI, including a home run.
The Gamecocks cut the deficit to a run after junior
Grayson Ashe belted a two-run home run in the sixth inning. The Montgomery, Alabama catcher now leads Jax State in the home run department with seven. The Gamecocks have hit a least one home run in the last nine games dating back to the Auburn contest on April 15.
The Bearkats broke the game open with back-to-back four spots in the seventh and eighth. The Gamecocks scored the final run of the day after a leadoff triple by junior
Caleb Johnson and an RBI to pinch hitter
Trey Majette.
Junior
Brady Thomas joined Collins with multiple hits with two on the day.
Jax State hits the road this week against nationally-ranked Troy on Tuesday night at Riddle-Pace Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. The Gamecocks will make the trip to Murfreesboro, Tennessee next weekend against Middle Tennessee. The series will get started on Friday, May 2.
All four games will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
