Baseball Falls, 2-1

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - A two-run homer in the bottom of the second from Bobby Hicks was all Jacksonville State needed Friday, as Bobby Wynns tossed six shutout innings, allowing just two hits, and the Gamecocks defeated Middle Tennessee, 2-1, at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Blue Raiders (3-1) managed just four hits in the game and struck out 10 times. They did not take advantage of four Gamecock errors, instead getting caught trying to steal four times in the contest.

Middle Tennessee starter Chris Mobley (1-1) worked his way out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first inning with a pair of strikeouts. The junior righthander labored through the first two innings before finding a nice groove over the final three, tying a career-high with nine strikeouts in five innings of work, allowing six hits and two runs.

Mobley's only mistake came with two outs in the second inning when nine-hole hitter Jason Horn blooped a single into short centerfield. Hicks then blasted a fastball over the wall in rightcenter for a 2-0 Gamecock (2-3) lead.

Wynns (1-1) was even better on the mound for the home team, limiting the Blue Raiders to just two hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking one.

The Blue Raiders stranded three runners in the first two innings without picking up a hit. Josh Archer's single up the middle to leadoff the fourth broke up the no-hitter of Wynns.

Singles in the fourth and fifth were the only hits of the contest for Middle Tennessee until a leadoff single from Eric McNamee followed by a double off the base of the leftfield wall by Brett Carroll in the ninth. McNamee scored on an Archer groundout, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Gamecock closer Robby Goodson, the designated hitter in the game, then struck out Marcus Taylor for the second out. Michael McKenry reached on catcher's interference, the second Blue Raider to do so in the contest, putting runners on the corners, but Nate Jaggers struck out to end the contest, giving Goodson his first save of the year.

Junior lefthander Danny Borne made his first appearance of the season, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts in relief of Mobley. Junior righty Travis Horschel got the final two outs for the Blue Raiders. The trio of Middle Tennessee hurlers retired the last 16 Gamecock batters of the contest.

McNamee, Carroll, Archer and Jeff Beachum accounted for the Blue Raider hits. Hicks had two of JSU's six hits, while leading hitter Goodson struck out four times.

"[Jacksonville State] just shut our offense down," Blue Raider head coach Steve Peterson said. "We couldn't get anything going and did not execute. We were just dominated by their pitchers.

"Mobley pitched very well. He worked out of some jams," he added. "He just made a mistake to their leadoff hitter. The kid's a good hitter and has been one of their best hitters.

"Our bullpen was excellent. They came in and gave us a chance to comeback and we almost did that."

The two clubs meet again Saturday at 2 p.m. and conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m.

GAME NOTES
Junior Nate Jaggers made his first appearance of the season, serving as the designated hitter. Jaggers did not play in the first three games of the season, serving a suspension for violation of team rules ... Junior Chris Mobley tied his career-high with nine strikeouts, working only five innings in the contest ... Junior lefthander Danny Borne made his first appearance of the season, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts ... Middle Tennessee had just four hits in the game, its least since picking up just four in the second game of a doubleheader at Memphis last season.

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