GAME ONE BOX SCORE (HTML) | BOX SCORE (PDF)
GAME TWO BOX SCORE (HTML) | BOX SCORE (PDF)
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- The Morehead State baseball team was swept in a Friday afternoon Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Jacksonville State, 7-4 and 7-6.
In the series opener the Gamecocks compiled a four-run, four-hit second inning that sank MSU. Sophomore
Garrick Whittle pitched through several dicey situations but fell victim to fielding errors and walks in his fourth loss of the season. He tossed five innings, struck out three and allowed six runs.
The Eagles (10-38/6-15 OVC) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as third baseman Bud Morton brought home
Michael Fear from second base on an RBI single.
JSU scored four in the bottom half of the second as Erik Underwood reached base on a single to right, and a fielding error by the Eagles put runners at first and second. A double by Andrew Bishop and a two-run double by leadoff man Coty Blanchard scored three runs. First baseman Ben Waldrip then ripped a single into right to give the Gamecocks a three-run lead.
MSU plated two runs in third to come within a run. Fear and centerfielder
Andrew Deeds each recorded RBI singles, scoring
Luke Bainer and
Taylor Davis, who reached base on consecutive singles to begin the frame.
Fear went 2-for-4 in game one with two singles and a RBI.
In the fifth, JSU drove in two more runs as Andrew and Michael Bishop hit sacrifice flies to left and right field respectively.
The Eagles scored another run in the seventh when Morton reached second base to lead off the inning as Waldrip allowed a ball to roll between his legs and into right. Davis brought home Morton from third on a fielder's choice.
Junior Aaron Elias earned the win for the Gamecocks in the series opener. He pitched six innings and allowed four earned runs. Closer Todd Hornsby earned his 13th save of the season throwing three scoreless frames of relief.
In game two, Morehead State took an 1-0 lead in the first as
Luke Bainer reached on a single to right center, and Deeds drove him in on a triple down the left field line, his seventh of the season.
MSU surrendered its one-run advantage in the first inning as Scott Underwood took second base on a two-base error by the Eagles. With two outs, Eberle and Eric Underwood struck consecutive doubles to centerfield driving in two runs to put JSU ahead 2-1.
The Eagles scored five runs in the third and fourth frames to retake the lead. Davis and Deeds each crushed RBI singles to score Luke Bainer and Daniel Pugh from third. Bainer reached base on a walk and Pugh was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning.
Davis followed up his third-inning performance hitting a bases-clearing double to center field in the fourth plating Luke Bainer and Pugh. Pugh brought home the first run in the inning with a sacrifice fly.
The Gamecocks plated three runs in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 6-5. Two throwing errors in the frame combined with RBI singles by Blanchard and Scott Underwood yielded the inning's rally.
JSU was not finished scoring runs against Eagle starter Trey Smith, who allowed seven runs in the loss, scoring the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth. Michael Bishop was issued the free pass by Smith to begin the inning and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. He scored on a single by Blanchard, who eventually scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Eberle.
Davis went 2-for-3 in game two driving in three runs and Deeds went 2-for-4 with two RBI and his seventh three-bagger of the year.
The Eagles will play the Gamecocks Saturday in the season finale for MSU. Game time is set for 2 p.m. EDT.
