BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Jacksonville State bolstered its postseason status with a 5-1 win over Western Kentucky on Thursday night at Nick Denes Field.
The win by Jax State was just the second time this season that the Hilltoppers were handed a loss in their own facility. The Gamecocks, who secured their spot in next week's Conference USA Baseball Tournament in Lynchburg, Va., heads into Friday's 1 p.m. contest in fourth place in the league standings and a half-a-game ahead of Louisiana Tech with a 14-11 mark.
Jax State broke up a 1-1 deadlock with a three-run sixth inning. Senior
Carson Hornung led off the inning with his third home run in the last six games with a blast over the batter's eye in centerfield. Freshman Matthew Clash extended the lead with a pinch-hit two-out, two-run single. It's the third pinch hit RBI of the season for Cash and the second in league play.
The Gamecocks added an insurance run in the seventh inning without a hit as they took advantage of three walks and a hit-by-pitch to plate the run. Junior
Grayson Ashe picjed up the RBI with a bases-loaded walk.
The four-run lead was sufficient for the Jax State bullpen. Redshirt junior
Jackson Sleeper was dominant over the final 3.1 innings by fanning seven-of-the-10 Hilltoppers he faced. The seven strikeouts was a career-high for Sleeper. It was Sleeper's fifth save of the season. The game was in the bullpen's hands after
Steven Cash going 3.2 innings on short rest. The CUSA Pitcher of the Week was efficient once for the third consecutive outing, limiting WKU to one run on three hits.
In his last three starts, the lefty has tossed 17.2 innings and just four runs against him. He has collected 17 strikeouts, including 10 strikeouts last weekend versus LA Tech.
Junior
James Wilson tossed a pair of clean frames with a pair of strikeouts to pick up the win in relief.
Hornung redshirt sophomore
Cooper Blauser and junior
Colton Hegwood joined Cash with a pair of hit. Jax State finished with nine hits, including four doubles. Hegwood posted two of those doubles.
Due to a threat of rain in the Bluegrass State on Friday, the second game of the series was pushed up to 1 p.m. The series concludes on Saturday with a 1 p.m. start time.
Friday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
