LYNCHBURG, Va. — The Jax State baseball team continued its winning ways in Conference USA play, taking down the Liberty Flames, 8-4, to open the series on Friday night at Worthington Field.
Jax State improves to 29-6 and 13-0 in CUSA play, continuing the best start ever in league play, while Liberty falls to 23-10 overall and 9-4 in league play.
Maddox McDougall earned the victory after pitching in three innings of long relief, giving up two hits while keeping the Flames scoreless. Jackson Sleeper earned his second save of the year with three innings to close out the game, only giving up a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning.
Liberty's Ben Blair was tagged with the loss after the Gamecocks broke the game open with a five-run top of the sixth inning. Blair exited the game after six frames, giving up a season-high seven runs.
In the first inning, the Flames jumped ahead of the Gamecocks, scoring two runs on two bases-loaded walks, taking an early 2-0 lead.
Jax State cut the lead in half in the top of the third inning with a RBI-single from Matthew Cash, scoring Trey King to make it 2-1. Liberty would add a third run in the home half of the same inning with an RBI-groundout, taking a 3-1 lead after three frames.
Jax State again made it a one-run game in the top of the fourth inning, with King plated Brady Thomas with an RBI-single through the right side.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Gamecocks scored five runs, starting with an RBI-single from Cooper Johnson to score Caleb Johnson. King earned his second and third RBI of the game with a two-RBI doubles, plating Blauser and Thomas. A wild pitch scored Luke Williams, and an RBI-single from Greg LaChance finished up the scoring, making it 7-3 after six.
Orlando Peña came in to pinch hit in the top of the eighth inning, adding an insurance run for the Gamecocks with a double down the right field line, scoring Williams.
Leading 8-3, Sleeper returned in the bottom of the ninth inning to close the game out. After a lead-off homer from the Flames, he got the Flames to fly out, hit a batter, then earned a strikeout and a foul fly to Grayson Ashe to end the game.
Trey King led the offense with a 3-3 night, scoring two runs and driving home three RBI.
Jax State looks to take the series with a victory on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. central time, 3 p.m. local time.
