RUSTON, La. — Jax State became the first team in Conference USA history to start conference play 9-0 after a 7-4 victory over Louisiana Tech on Sunday afternoon at The Love Shack.
The Gamecocks swept its sixth weekend series in a row, and swept LA Tech for the first time in program history.
Steven Cash earned his third win of the season with six innings of work, giving up four runs but fanning seven on 108 pitches.
Jackson Sleeper earned his first save of the season by qualifying in all three ways; he pitched three innings of relief, came in during a one-run game, and had the tying run at the plate when he arrived.
After stranding 16 runners yesterday, the Bulldogs (15-14, 4-5 CUSA) were able to cash in with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the second inning, starting with a two-RBI single from Casey McCoy. Colton Coates singled to score another run, and a sac fly from Eli Berch would complete the 4-0 inning.
Like yesterday, the Gamecocks (24-5, 9-0 CUSA) would score all of their runs after LA Tech, today scoring seven unanswered to complete the comeback.
Jax State collected its first hit of the game in the top of the fifth inning, when
Caleb Johnson scored
Luke Williams from second base on an RBI-single.
Cooper Blauser would follow up with a 392-foot solo homer to dead center field, cutting LA Tech's lead in half at 4-2.
The Gamecocks would take the lead in the seventh inning, first cutting the lead to 4-3 when
Grayson Ashe singled up the middle, with
Jaxon Pate coming home on an error on the play by Colby Lunsford.
Matthew Cash would reach on an error by Coates next, allowing Blauser and Ashe to score to take the 5-4 lead.
To add a couple insurnace runs, a two-RBI single by Ashe in the top of the eighth inning would score Williams and Johnson, taking a 7-4 lead late into the game.
Sleeper faced the minimum during his outing, striking out the side in the seventh, incuding a double play in the eighth to end the inning, and fanning the final two batters in the ninth to earn the save.
In total, Louisiana Tech finished the day with four errors.
The Gamecocks return home for four contests this coming week, facing Alabama on Tuesday and Middle Tennessee on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The weekend series is moved up a day due to Easter weekend.
