SUNDAY'S SCORES
Jacksonville State 8, @Southeast Missouri 7
UT Martin 3, @Samford 1
JACKSONVILLE STATE 8, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 7
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Jacksonville State picked up its first Ohio Valley Conference road series with another one-run contest with Southeast Missouri as JSU capped off the weekend with an 8-7 win on Sunday afternoon at Capaha Field.
With two wins in Cape Girardeau, Mo. On the weekend, the Gamecocks improved to 16-15 overall and remained in the top half of the OVC standings with an 8-4 mark in conference meetings. The Redhawks dropped to 15-17 on the season and 5-10 against OVC competition.
Junior Alex Webb finished his four-hit day with a clutch two-out double JSU's half of the ninth to stretch a one-run advantage to a three-run lead going in to SEMO final plate appearance. Those two RBI were much-needed as the Redhawks strung together four hits, including a one-out, two RBI single by Hunter Southerland. After SEMO's Tyler Wilbur, who was 4-for-4 on the day entering his final at bat, was induced in to a fly ball out by Austin Brewster. Jax State went with sophomore Christian Edwards to close it out. After a walk to load the bases, Edwards finished it with a fly ball to right field.
The Gamecocks collected 15 total hits on the day and used the home run ball to score five of the eight runs. Junior Chase Robinson, who went 5-for-10 on the weekend, broke a scoreless contest in the fourth with a three-run home run over the right field wall. It was Robinson's second home run of the series after posting one on Friday night.
After SEMO answered with two runs off of a sacrifice squeeze bunt play off of JSU starter Dylan Hathcock, Webb pushed the lead to 4-2 with a solo home run in the Gamecocks' fifth. The two clubs kept trading scoring innings with another two runs in the fourth to square the contest.
Freshman Carson Crowe joined the list of home run hitters for the Gamecocks with a one-out blast in the sixth. Jax State added another run in the frame as sophomore Cole Frederick scored on a wild pitch. Frederick joined Webb with a four-hit contest with one of his three singles to reach base in the inning. Frederick added a leadoff double in the eighth.
SEMO sliced the deficit to 6-5 with a run in the seventh.
Hathcock had one of his best starts against a conference foe as he turned in a career-best four strikeouts in a career-long 4.0 innings. JSU turned it over to the bullpen the rest of the way as junior Corley Woods was the first in relief and earned his fourth win of the season. Junior Jackson Tavel came in before Brewster and Edwards. Edwards registered his sixth save of the season.
UT MARTIN 3, SAMFORD 1
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team produced an all-around win today as the Skyhawks defeated Samford 3-1.
In the victory, UT Martin (12-19) eclipsed its 2018 win total of 11 games won by last season’s squad. Nick Wohlbold notched his seventh save of the season which moves him into second in program history for most in a year tying Wes Alsup’s seven of 2010 and fifth all-time matching Alsup (2009-10) and Russ Hooper (1982-85).
UT Martin (12-19) saw run production come from Blake Davis (two hits, one home run and a pair of RBIs) and Creighton Eldridge (one hit including a homer and one RBI) as both showcased their power swings on the day. Also collecting knocks in the game were Ethan Whitley (two) and Jordan Stoner (one) while Eldridge was the lone Skyhawk to work the count for a free base. Whitley would also find his way on via being hit by a pitch and would swipe his first base of the season.
Winston Cannon (4-5) was nearly untouchable today as the Cookeville, Tenn. native twirled a seven-inning gem. The junior righty allowed just four Bulldog hits while issuing no walks and fanning a season-high nine batters in his time on the bump. Wohlbold earned his seventh save on the season as he tossed a pair of innings of one-run baseball. He sat down a trio of Samford batsmen in his outing while allowing a pair of base knocks and a couple of free bases en route to the historic save.
Cannon found himself in slight trouble in the home half of the first inning as he gave up a two-out double but would keep a cool head and fan the next batter to retire the side with a pair of strikeouts in the frame. He made quick work of the Bulldogs in the second as he opened the inning with a whiff followed by a flout to right and a groundout to short to get out of the inning.
Cannon worked around a leadoff single up the middle in the third to induce a flyout to right field. He then received some help from the catcher, Davis, with the leadoff runner caught stealing. A Samford strikeout would end the frame and keep things scoreless. In the fourth inning, Cannon sat down the side in order on a groundout back to himself, strikeout and groundout to first base, respectively.
Cannon conceded a Bulldog single to open the fifth inning but worked out of trouble by finding a pair of friendly fly-ball outs with a swinging strikeout sandwiched in between. He kept chugging along in the sixth as he sat down the side in order via a whiff and couple of groundouts, respectively.
Eldridge single handedly put the Skyhawks in front in the seventh as he smacked a solo home run to right field to give UT Martin a 1-0 advantage.
In the home half of the seventh, Cannon rung up the first batter of the frame before allowing a knock to right. Unfazed, he forced a flyout to center and sat down the next batter to avoid any trouble in his final inning of work.
Wohlbold would enter in the eighth for a two-inning save situation. He forced a groundout to third to open the frame before getting a foul out. He struck out the next batter but due to a wild pitch, the runner would find his way on. He kept his composure though to induce a groundball out to escape unharmed.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Eldridge worked a six-pitch free bag just before Davis issued a two-run shot over the left field wall to put the Skyhawks up 3-0.
Wohlbold faced some adversity in the ninth as he allowed a run in the frame but he would record a pair of strikeouts including the final out of the ballgame to shut the door.