Box Score JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Belmont University baseball team lost the rubber match game with Jacksonville State on Sunday at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Field, with the Gamecocks claiming the series with a 7-2 win.
Five different Bruins recorded a hit on Sunday, with junior Logan Jarvis recording his eighth multi RBI game of the season. Jacksonville State's Alex Webb led the Gamecocks offensively with three hits in five at-bats while JSU's pitching combined for five strikeouts while only allowing four walks. JSU's relief pitchers did not allow a run in the final 3.2 innings of play.
Jacksonville State struck first in the bottom of the first inning, capitalizing off a leadoff single and a walk with an RBI single to give the Gamecocks the early advantage. Following two leadoff singles in the bottom of the second inning, Jacksonville State scored another run off a Belmont fielding error. A double play later in the inning allowed another run to score for the Gamecocks, extending their lead 3-0.
Despite Belmont using four different pitchers in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Gamecocks' offense still kept attacking. After a single and a hit by pitch, Jacksonville State scored three runs off a single, double and a groundout to the shortstop to double its lead 6-0.
Belmont executed off a bases loaded opportunity in the top of the sixth inning, with Jarvis hitting a single to the right side of the field that brought in two runs to cut the Jacksonville State lead to four runs with one out. The Gamecocks, however, forced a flyout and caught a Belmont runner stealing to prevent any further damage in the inning.
Drawing two walks with one out, Jacksonville State hit an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning to stretch its lead 7-2. Belmont collected two hits and drew a walk in the final three innings of play, but Jacksonville State's pitching prevented any damage and retired the Bruins' final five batters to secure the win and the series.
Belmont (13-16) wraps up its road trip on Tuesday, traveling to Florence, Ala. to take on North Alabama at 5 p.m. Belmont head coach Dave Jarvis is currently at 662 wins as the Bruins' head coach, needing just two more wins to pass Dave Whitten (1969-1997) to become the winningest head coach in program history.
