JACKSONVILLE — Jax State rallied for the fifth-straight game, with Trey Majette scoring on a walk off wild pitch to secure the series over Middle Tennessee with a 7-6 win on Friday night at Jim Case Stadium.
Greg LaChance did something that had not been done since 2010 for Jax State – the Whimby, Ontario native hit a pinch hit grand slam to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jake Sherrock last did it 16 years ago to walk-off Murray State to open that series.
The grand slam also represented his first home run as a Gamecock. He drove in four RBI with the swing, more than his season total to that point.
Skyler Hutto earned the win with a clean inning, conceding only one hit but striking out two. Colin Kerrigan was tagged with the loss as the pitcher who threw the wild pitch to allow Majette to make it home in the bottom of the ninth.
Middle Tennessee (16-15, 5-6 CUSA) took a three-run lead in the top of the first inning, when reigning CUSA Hitter of the Week Layne Akers drove home three runs with a triple.
Jax State (26-6, 11-0 CUSA) scored two in the home half of the first, starting with a single from Matthew Cash that plated Caleb Johnson on a throwing error by the MTSU first baseman. Grayson Ashe brought Cash home on an RBI-single to cut the lead to just one run at 3-2.
MTSU grew its lead back to three runs in the top of the fourth with an RBI-groundout and an RBI-single. In the sixth inning, the Blue Raiders put Jax State in a four run hole with an RBI-double, taking a 6-2 lead into the later frames.
The bottom of the eighth inning saw Cooper Blauser single to reach with two outs. Back-to-back hit by pitches from Cash and Ashe saw the Gamecocks load the bases, with MTSU making a pitching change to an arm that the Gamecocks saw the night prior. LaChance was brought in to pinch hit, and on a 3-2 count, smashed the ball 411 feet to left field, tying the game on one swing.
The top of the ninth was opened with a 4-3 groundout, but a single and an error put runners on first and second with one out. Hutto induced swinging strikeouts on 2-2 counts to end the inning with the game still tied.
Sam Richardson opened the bottom of the ninth with a single through the left side, who Majette pinch ran for. A sac bunt from Orlando Peña moved him into scoring position, and he promptly moved to third thanks to the first wild pitch of the inning. Jaxon Pate took three balls before he was intentionally walked, but a wild pitch on an 0-1 count sealed the fate of the game, bringing Majette home for the 7-6 victory.
Jax State has now won 13 games where the Gamecocks have had to rally at some point of the game.
The Gamecocks turn to Saturday and look for a fourth-straight Conference USA sweep. Action starts at 1:05 p.m. from Jim Case Stadium.