Box Score |Â
OXFORD, Ala. – Jacksonville State broke a scoreless tie with a five-run seventh inning and added an insurance run in the eighth as the Gamecocks defeated Eastern Illinois, 6-3, on Saturday.
Eastern Illinois fell to 2-15 (1-1 OVC) following the loss, while Jacksonville State earned their first conference win of the season to improve to 1-4 in the OVC and 9-9 overall.
The game had the look of a pitcher's duel between Eastern Illinois'
Michael McCormick and Jacksonville State's Colton Pate until the seventh inning. The Panthers threatened in the top half of the frame with a runner in scoring position as
Logan Beaman worked a lead-off walk and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. Pate was able to work out of the jam and kept the game tied at 0-0.
Jacksonville State setup the same scenario during the bottom half of the seventh as Chase Robinson singled to start the inning and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. McCormick got the next Gamecocks' batter to pop up on the infield, but Jacksonville State worked back-to-back walks to load the bases. Clayton Daniel hit a go-ahead double down the left-field line to clear the bases. Hayden White followed with a two-run home run against the Eastern Illinois' bullpen to extend the Jacksonville State lead to 5-0.
The Gamecocks added a run to their total in the eighth inning on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Dalton Etheridge.
Eastern Illinois would attempt a late-inning rally of their own in the ninth.
Matt Albert walked to start the inning and moved up to third on a double by Beaman.
Hunter Beetley blasted his first career home run as a Panther, a three-run shot to right, and cut the Jacksonville State lead in half, but the Gamecocks' pitching staff got the next two Panthers out to finish the game.
McCormick suffered the tough-luck loss on the hill for the Panthers as he allowed four runs in 6.2 innings of work.
Frankie Perrone finished the day as the leading hitter for the Panthers as he went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Joseph Duncan, Beaman, and Beetley also recorded a hit for EIU.
The two teams will play the rubber game to decide a series winner on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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