Jax State takes series opener

Friday, March 13

Huntsville

6:30 PM

8-9, 0-1

Jax State

15-3, 1-0

Jax State

Sam Houston

Photo by: Maddie Wilson

Jax State takes series opener

3/13/2026 10:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats' ninth-inning rally came up just short in a 3-1 loss to Jax State in the series opener on Friday night at Don Sanders Stadium.

Sam Houston (8-9, 0-1 CUSA) trailed the Gamecocks (15-3, 1-0 CUSA) 3-0 after five innings, but got a run back in the seventh and loaded the bases in the ninth before reliever Skyler Hutto struck out pinch hitter Easton Dean to close out his fourth save of the year.

Ryan Franden made his return to the lineup and singled in his final two at-bats of the game, including a 1-out base hit in the ninth to start the rally. Hunter Alvord followed with a single and Cade Corcoran later walked before Hutto finished it off.

Staff ace Ryan Peterson took his third loss of the year, despite striking out eight hitters in 5.0 innings of work. But he was matched by JSU starter Eli Pillsbury who struck out six and did not issue a walk in 6.2 frames to move to 3-0 on the year. He retired the first 13 Bearkats he faced before the Kats finally got a runner on the basepaths on a catcher's interference in the fifth.

Peterson had already struck out five hitters in the first two frames before Luke Williams got the Gamecocks on the board when he led off the third with a solo homer to right field. Two innings later a single, bunt and error set JSU up for more offense and the Gamecocks capitalized with runs on a sacrifice fly and a double to left field.

The Kats threatened with runners in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings but could not push anything across until the seventh when Corcoran lined an RBI single into left-center field to score Franden.

UP NEXT
Sam Houston will look to even the series with Jax State on Saturday with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m.