BOX SCORE (PDF) | AUDIO ARCHIVE
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Morehead State baseball team exploded for 11 runs on 11 hits in the second inning Friday, and senior pitcher
Matt Anderson established the school single-season strikeout record in a 14-6 series-opening victory over Jacksonville State at Allen Field.
Anderson, who improved to 8-2, got a K in the first inning to eclipse Sean Hogan's mark of 108 set in 1991. He proceeded to strike out nine more Gamecock hitters for his sixth double-digit K effort, and he only gave up one earned run and five hits in seven innings. Anderson continues ranks second nationally with 118 punchouts this season and leads the country in strikeouts per nine innings.
The Eagles improved to 28-22 overall and 14-11 in the league with their fifth straight regular-season win over JSU. The Gamecocks slipped to 29-20 overall and 17-8 in the OVC.
The 6-9 hitters in the MSU lineup, freshmen
Niko Hulsizer,
Hunter Fain and
Trevor Snyder and sophomore
Braxton Morris, combined to start the game 11-for-11, and Fain and Morris had home runs. Morris cranked a three-run shot in the 11-run inning, and Fain had a two-run blast to left field in the fourth frame.
"The bottom of our order was outstanding, and that's what we need to be good," said head coach
Mike McGuire. "Niko especially has been seeing the ball well, and I was glad to see Trevor with a few hits after battling some illness this week."
Junior centerfielder
Ryan Kent also contributed to the scoring outburst early on with a three-run double. Hulsizer, Fain and Snyder had three hits apiece as the Eagle offense totaled 17.
MSU chased JSU starter Graham Officer, who entered the game with an 8-1 record, after just three innings and 13 earned runs surrendered. The Eagles built a 14-1 cushion before JSU crept back with a three-run homer by Tyler Gamble and a solo shot by Taylor Hawthorne.
The teams will play game two of the three-game set on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
