FLORENCE, Ala. — Jax State opened the week with a 8-3 victory over the North Alabama Lions on Tuesday at Mike D. Lane Field in Florence.
Jax State improves to 14-3 heading into conference play, while North Alabama falls to 7-10 after the loss.
Brady Thomas earned his second victory of the season, starting for the first time this year and pitched three innings with three punch outs, only allowing a single hit and run.
Grayson Ashe opened the scoring in the top of the second inning with a lead-off home run over the 24-foot tall wall in left field. Trey King and Cooper Blauser drove back-to-back runs home when they were both hit by pitches was the bases loaded, taking a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the second inning.
The Lions would respond with its only run of the night, a solo homer from Nash Rippen to open the inning and cut into the lead at 3-1.
The score would remain at 3-1 until the top of the sixth, when Thomas walked with the bases loaded to make it 4-1.
The Gamecock bats reignited in the top of the seventh inning with four hits, first with Jaxon Pate bringing Caleb Johnson and Orlando Pena home with a double to left field, bouncing off the wall. King would score Pate on an RBI-single to right field to make it 7-1 after the inning ended.
Greg LaChance would add a run with a pinch-hit double, scoring Johnson to make it 8-1. The Lions would answer with a lead-off home run and a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little too late, as the Gamecocks held down the Lions bats the rest of the way to seal the win.
The Gamecocks will open Conference USA play on the road with a three-game set against Sam Houston. Action from Don Sanders Stadium is scheduled to begin on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
