WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
Samford 9,
@Jacksonville State 7
@Bradley 8,
SIUE 6
SAMFORD 9, JACKSONVILLE STATE 7
OXFORD, Ala. - The Jacksonville State dropped its second in-state midweek contest with a 9-7 setback to Samford on Wednesday night at Choccolocco Park.
The Gamecocks were looking to bounce back from a tough lost to Alabama on Tuesday in Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide plated the winning runs in the ninth for the win. The loss dropped JSU to 24-22 overall, while the Bulldogs moved to 28-22 on the season and claimed both contests with Jax State in the 2018 season. Samford downed JSU in February in Birmingham.
JSU tried to resemble what happened to it on Tuesday with UA in the ninth as it had the tying runs on the corners in the final at bat before the Bulldogs were able to close out a game that saw 13 combined pitchers on the mound. SU's Wyatt Burns picked up his ninth save of the season after escaping ninth. Billy Cregor, the third of seven arms used by the Bulldogs earned his first win of the season as he entered the game in the sixth after the SU order erased a 5-4 deficit in the sixth.
Jax State took a 5-4 lead to the sixth, but four of the nine walks by the pitching staff came in the frame that saw Samford have two hits, but push four runs across the dish to take an 8-5 lead and an advantage that it would not relinquish. The nine free passes issued by JSU matches the season high for the club. Samford also took advantage of five wild pitches. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Wilburn (3-3) was saddled with the loss.
Samford jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but like Tuesday, JSU was able to answer with a two-run first inning. The inning started with a leadoff double by Clayton Daniel, which leveled him with former Southeast Missouri standout Jeremy Johnson, who collected 65 career doubles. Daniel broke JSU's program record for doubles in a season last weekend at Morehead State. He now has accumulated 311 career hits, which is 12 shy of matching Bert Smith's career hits mark of 323. Senior Trent Simpson had one of his two RBI with sacrifice fly. Simpson's RBI double in the eighth cut Samford's lead to 9-6.
The Gamecocks put together a two-out rally off of Samford starter Hamp Skinner in the fourth. Skinner allowed two bases runners via a walk ahead of sophomore Chase Robinson. Robinson continued to swing a hot stick with a three-run home run to right field to give JSU its only lead of the night. The Pell City, Alabama native has posted a home run in each of the last three games. After Robinson's big hit in the third, the Gamecocks were limited until the two-run eighth. JSU got within a run at 8-7 on a two-out RBI single by senior Hayden White.
Junior Nic Gaddis and sophomore Andrew Naismith had two hits each in the loss.
BRADLEY 8, SIUE 6
PEORIA, Ill. - Bradley scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday to break a 6-6 tie and the Braves went on to defeat SIUE 8-6 in nonconference baseball at Dozer Park.
The Cougars fell to 14-32. Bradley improved to 29-12.
Braydon Bone (1-2) allowed the runs in the eighth and suffered the loss. He worked 1 1/3 walked two and struck out two. Bradley reliever Bpbby Johnson (3-1). He also worked 1 1/3 innings.
The Braves led 6-2 going into the eighth inning, but SIUE worked its way back. The Cougars loaded the bases thanks to three consecutive walks to open the inning. With one out, Aaron Goecks drove home a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3. With two outs, Aaron Jackson reached on an error, allowing Steven Pattan to score and the inning to continue to Mario Tursi. Tursi drove a base hit through the left side scoring two runs to tie the score.
The Braves had led from the beginning of the night, scoring a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly. Designated hitter Eli Rawlinson hit a two-run home run in the second to make it 3-0 Bradley.
Goecks picked up an RBI on a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to make it 3-1. Jared McCunn made it 3-2 with an RBI on an infield hit to right side in the fifth inning.
Bradley scored four times in the bottom of the inning to push the lead to four runs. Brandon Dougherty added a two-run home run in the inning.
McCunn led SIUE at the plate. He was 3 for 4 with the RBI and two runs scored. Goecks and Tursi each finished with two RBIs.
For Bradley, Andrew Ivelia was 1 for 3 with three RBIs. Luke Mangieri was 3 for 3.