MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Jax State offense, led by Brady Thomas' four-for-five day with four extra base hits and four RBI, overpowered the Memphis Tigers to claim the series with a 9-4 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Jax State continues its win streak, now stretched to nine games with a 9-2 record, while Memphis falls to 3-7.
Jackson Sleeper claimed his third win of the season after finishing the fifth inning in the contest and holding the lead.Will Howell took his second loss of the year, allowing seven runs to Jax State in the first five innings.
The Gamecocks wasted no time getting on the board, with Thomas doubling to right field to score Trey King in the top of the first. Jax State added four more runs in the next inning, starting with a King sac fly to score Matthew Cash, then a Cooper Blauser double to plate Orlando Pena, ending with Thomas' first home run of the season to bring Blauser home with him, going up 5-0 in two frames.
The lead was extended to 6-0 in the top of the third thanks to a sac fly from Caleb Johnson, scoring Jaxon Pate.
Memphis responded in the home half of the third inning with a 402 foot home run from Webb Watson, scoring two runs to cut the lead to 6-2.
Luke Williams unleashed his own home run in the top of the fifth, the first of his Division I career, to bump the lead up to five runs at 7-2, but a homer from Memphis in the bottom of the sixth would again make it a four-run game.
Thomas knocked an RBI-triple in the top of the eighth inning to plate King, tacking on an insurance run to make it 8-3. A wild pitch would bring Thomas back home, bolstering the lead back to six runs at 9-3.
Memphis had opportunities late with multiple runners on base, but could only drive home one runner in the bottom of the eighth from a fielder's choice, setting the score at 9-4, which would become the final.
Skyler Hutto came in in the ninth with two runners on to seal the victory, getting the first batter to strike out swinging, then getting the final pinch hitter to hit into a double play.
Thomas tied career-highs in RBI in a single game at four and doubles in a single game with two, while setting a new career high in hits in a single game at four.
Jax State will look to sweep Memphis on Sunday afternoon at FedExPark. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
