Box Score HATTIESBURG, Miss.—Jax State created multiple opportunities in Sunday night's regional final against Little Rock, but were unable to come through with a big inning in a 6-3 season-ending loss.
The Gamecocks (48-15) stranded 15 base runners on the night after posting 10 hits and drawing seven walks.
"Congrats to Coach Curry and that team; that is a really good team and they're going to have a really good Super Regional," said coach
Steve Bieser. "It's been a special season for this group and a special group of guys you want to be around every single day. Win or lose, I like this group as a team and I love to coach them."
Jax State loaded the bases in the first, but bounced into a double play to end the threat. Little Rock also threatened in the first with a leadoff triple followed by a walk, but a fielder's choice cut down a runner at the plate, then a fly out and a strikeout ended the inning.
A two-out, two-run double by Little Rock leadoff man Jerdy Lopez gave his team a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth and
Caleb Johnson ripped a ball to center field 110 MPH to bring home
Matthew Cash and
Greg LaChance to cut the deficit to one.
Johnson,
Jaxon Pate, and
Brady Thomas all had two hits each.
Jax State got runners to second and third with two outs in the top of the fifth, but were unable to bring them home, resulting in the eighth and ninth baserunners stranded. The Trojans got a run on a single to left in the fifth and had the bases loaded with one out but
Jackson Sleeper recorded consecutive strikeouts to limit the damage.
The Gamecocks loaded the bases in the sixth but a strikeout ended that threat as well.
A
Grayson Ashe RBI groundout brought home
Cooper Blauser to get back within a run in the seventh, but were unable to get any closer. Little Rock came up with two more two-out runs by keeping the bottom of the eighth alive with a dropped third strike followed by a single and a walk and a two-run single to take a 6-3 lead.
Jax State also got the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but left the bases loaded for the third time in the game when it ended on a strikeout.
"I loved every minute of it," Johnson reflected on his four years with the Gamecocks. "It was awesome and the most fun I've ever had."
