Box Score
 
MOBILE, Ala. – Jacksonville State right-hander Christian Edwards struck out a career-high 12 batters in six innings pitched to lead the Gamecocks to an 11-2 series-opening win over University of South Alabama baseball Friday at Stanky Field. 

Edwards (2-1) allowed two runs on one hit while issuing four walks to go along with his 12 strikeouts, while retiring the last eight batters he faced in the game. 

NEXT UP
South Alabama (6-7) will return to action Saturday when it hosts Jacksonville State in game two of the series at 2 p.m. at Stanky Field.

GAME FACTS
- JSU (6-7) scored the game's first run in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly to center field by Zeth Malcom that scored Nash Adams, who doubled with one out earlier in the inning. Alex Webb delivered a two-out RBI single through the right side of the infield later in the inning to double the JSU lead at 2-0. Jay Williams followed with an RBI double off the left field wall to push the Gamecock lead to 3-0. Alex Strachan then pushed the JSU lead to 5-0 with a two-run home run to left field.
- Noah Bailey and Kaleb DeLaTorre drew consecutive one-out walks in the bottom of the third inning. Ethan Wilson delivered a two-out, two-run double to the left field corner later in the inning to cut the JSU lead to 5-2.
- JSU pushed its lead to 6-2 in the top of the seventh. Adams doubled to lead off the inning, and later scored on a wild pitch from Jaguar right-handed reliever Jackson Boyd. Cole Frederick walked with no outs earlier in the inning, and later scored from third on an RBI fielder's choice on a grounder to first off the bat of Webb for a 7-2 lead. A hit by pitch from Jag right-hander Collin Brougham loaded the bases with no outs. Strachan followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to score Malcom for an 8-2 lead. Webb later scored on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Alexander for a 9-2 lead. 
- The Gamecocks scored the game's final runs in the top of the eighth on a two-out RBI double to center field by Webb. 

NOTES
- Sandle's hit streak and on-base streak were snapped at five games apiece.
- Jaguar right-handed reliever Cade Henry made his Jaguar debut with and recorded his first career strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. 
- Jaguar right-hander Jeremy Lee (1-1) allowed five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts without issuing a walk in three innings pitched in the loss.
- Wilson recorded the Jaguars' lone hit, a two-run double, in the bottom of the third.
- The loss snapped a three-game Jaguar win streak in the series.

QUOTES    
Head Coach Mark Calvi 
- On JSU starter Christian Edwards:
"He was very good. We chased him up, and we knew he threw a lot of fastballs. I give him a lot of credit. He had a very good fastball with good spin rate. We chased him out of the zone, and he made enough pitches in the zone. We didn't have enough good quality at-bats to even pressure him. We did a little bit, but it was not enough at all."

- On the offense:
"One hit is not going to win any baseball games. We have a capable offense and defense – a capable team – that hasn't played to its capabilities yet and that's on me. We have to keep working, grinding and getting better and come out tomorrow and play better."

- On right-hander Jeremy Lee:
"He missed middle on some (pitches) and they (JSU) are a fastball hitting team. They do a good job of that and we knew it. He needed to land his breaking ball earlier in the count, and he got into some bad counts and they took advantage of some mistakes in some hitter's counts. We weren't in pitchers counts enough tonight, but you give Jacksonville State credit. They played much better than we did; they hit, pitched and played better defense. "

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