JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State wrapped up the home non-conference slate with a 15-4 mark after extinguishing Alabama State, 16-4, on Tuesday night at The Jim.
The Gamecocks blistered ASU pitching with 11 hits and the pitching staff held the Hornets to a pair of hits in the seven-inning contest. The win gave Jax State a season sweep of ASU after disposing of the Hornets, 12-6, in Montgomery on April 1. The Gamecocks collected their third midweek sweep of in-state rivals after sweeping both Samford and UAB.
Jax State recorded runs in five-of-its-six at bats, highlighted by back-to-back five spots in the fourth and fifth innings to break the game open.
The Gamecock pitching staff held ASU to just two hits in the seven innings. The Hornets started the fourth inning with a leadoff double, but junior
Joe Scarborough worked out the hit to keep ASU off the board. ASU's second hit came in its four-run sixth inning. Scarborough picked up the win in relief. Junior
Karson Bonaparte tossed the first three frames and picked up a pair of strikeouts. Freshman Fischer Cantrell tossed a clean fifth inning, including two strikeouts.
Senior
Carson Hornung, who had three of Jax State's 11 hits, highlighted the two frames with a double in each of the two plate appearances for him. He also had a single in the first inning. Junior
Colton Hegwood, who has led Jax State in hitting all season, showed his power in the fourth inning with his first home run in a Gamecock uniform.
After a Hornung two-run double in the fifth, sophomore
Hudson Walburn belted a pinch hit three-run home run that traveled 433 feet over the left center fence. Hudson, who had five home runs as a freshman in 2024, delivered his first home run since the final series of last season at Sam Houston.
Jax State took advantage of ASU's bullpen late in the contest with three runs in the sixth without a hit.
The Gamecocks also pressured the Hornets on the base baths with sis stolen bases, which was one back of matching the season-high in swiping bags in a game. Jax State collected seven stolen bases on two occasions – against Arkansas State and in the contest with ASU in Montgomery. Jax State crossed the 100 stolen bases in a season threshold for the first time since 1986. Through 49 games, Jax State has 103 stolen bases, which ranks fifth all-time in the program's history. The mark matches the 1986 club.
Williamson extended his hitting streak to 12 games and his on-base streak to 13 consecutive games with an RBI double and a walk.
The Gamecocks will close out the final homestand of the season this weekend in the final home Conference USA series against Louisiana Tech. The series with the Bulldogs will get started on Friday at 6 p.m. Jax State will honor its senior class prior to the 6 p.m. start on Saturday. The series wraps up on Mother's Day at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
All three games this weekend will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.
