JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Jacksonville State proved how important home field advantage can be Saturday afternoon, handing the Tennessee Tech baseball team its first series loss of the season. The Golden Eagles (27-12, 15-5) fell to the Gamecocks (22-16, 14-3), 7-5.
The Golden Eagles and Gamecocks played even ball in the first inning, each scoring a single run to get things started in the Saturday contest. Tech started things off with an RBI single by junior Daniel Miles. Jacksonville State evened things up in the bottom of the half, collecting a run off a Griff Gordon single to left field.
Senior Michael Morris gave Tech its second lead of the game, tripling to left center field and scoring on a throwing error by Gamecock second baseman Gavin Golsan. Junior slugger Zach Stephens doubled the Golden Eagle lead, hammering his ninth home run of the season over the right field wall.
Jacksonville State took the lead for good in the bottom of the third, gathering four runs on singles by Griff Gordon, Eddie Mora-Loera, and Ty Pierce. After three innings, the Gamecocks led 5-3.
Tech scored again in the fourth inning, cutting the Jax State lead in half with an RBI ground out by James Abraham. The Gamecocks answered back, however, as Griff Gordon used another RBI single to give Jax State a 6-4 lead heading to the fifth.
Each side scored one more time apiece as the Gamecocks grabbed a run in the bottom of the sixth off an error by the Golden Eagles. Miles drove in another run in the seventh, putting Tech within two, but Jax State closed things off as Travis Stout picked up his 12th save of the season.
Earning the win for the Gamecocks was Taylor Shields (6-2) while junior Ross Spurgeon (2-2) was tabbed with just his second loss of the season.
Stephens, Miles, and Morris all collected three hits apiece, combining for all three Tech RBI on the day.
David Hess pitched six innings of relief, allowing just one earned run while striking out five Gamecock batters.
Game three of the series will begin at 1 p.m. CDT on Sunday as the sophomore Jacob Honea will look to help Tech avoid the sweep against Jacksonville State.
