Stetson falls to Jacksonville State, on brink of ASUN baseball tournament elimination
DELAND — As quickly as Stetson gained control of its destiny at the ASUN baseball tournament, it gave it away Wednesday afternoon.
The Hatters fell 6-1 to Jacksonville State in their second Pool B game, scratching out just six hits. With the result, Stetson (34-23) must defeat Austin Peay at 2:30 p.m. Thursday to stay mathematically alive in pool play.
Only the Pool B winner advances to the semifinal round, joining the top three performers in Pool A — comprised of Lipscomb, Florida Gulf Coast, Liberty and Jacksonville. Jacksonville State (26-28), which did not play on the tournament's opening day, holds sole possession of first place in Pool B after Eastern Kentucky's walk-off win over Austin Peay late Wednesday evening.
With the highest RPI among Group B's foursome, Stetson would advance in the case of a three-team tiebreaker. The Hatters handled Eastern Kentucky 8-3 in Tuesday's tripleheader nightcap.
Derrick Jackson Jr. gave the visiting Gamecocks an early advantage, spraying a three-run opposite-field homer off Hatters lefthander Daniel Paret in the top half of the first inning. Bear Madliak tacked on an RBI single in the second, and Cameron Crowe crushed a two-run shot in the third.
More: Stetson swings hot bats early, holds off Eastern Kentucky 8-3 in ASUN baseball tourney opener
More: Sights from Tuesday's ASUN Conference baseball games at Stetson
Nick Durgin spun six scoreless innings of relief, and just five Jacksonville State hitters reached base against the trusted redshirt junior reliever. Landon Moran recorded a multi-hit game for the Hatters, and Christian Pregent drove in the lone run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
Tanner Jones came one out away from recording Jacksonville State's first complete game since May 25, 2018. The sophomore righty scattered six hits and a walk while striking out six. Crowe finished 3 for 4 with a pair of runs scored.
The day's opening game was delayed nearly three hours due to rolling showers, but Jacksonville rebounded from a shutout loss to FGCU with an 8-0 rout of Liberty. Tommy Joseph doubled and drove in three for the victorious Dolphins, and Evan Chrest, Leighton Alley and Jack Carver fanned 10 Flames to combine for a five-hit shutout.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: ASUN baseball tournament: Jacksonville State defeats Stetson in pool play
