FINAL STATS PHOTO GALLERY
JACKSONVILLE – Kyle Bluestein had three hits, including a two-run home run, to lead Jacksonville State to a 9-7 win over No. 1 ranked Georgia in front of a Rudy Abbott Field record crowd of 2,887 Wednesday night.
It is believed to be the first time an Ohio Valley Conference baseball team has topped a No. 1 ranked team in the country. The Bulldogs entered the game ranked No. 1 in the latest coaches poll.
Jordan Beistline (7-1) scattered three hits and had three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings on the mound to earn his seventh win of the season. Bill Henke struck out two in the final inning to earn his eighth save of the season. Georgia’s Tyler Maloof (0-1) gave up four runs in just 2/3 inning to get stuck with the loss.
“We kind of got punched in the nose in the first inning, but the guys on the mound competed and we made them swing the bats,” said JSU head coach Jim Case. "We made some big defensive plays in the field. I thought we did a nice job of battling back and adding on runs when we needed to.”
The top-ranked Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning after Colby May hit a two run homer, but the Gamecocks bounced back to tie the game in the home half of the first after Bluestein slugged his seventh home run of the season to even the score at 2-2.
Georgia pushed the lead to 4-2 in the third inning on a RBI double by Rich Poythress and a RBI single by Joey Lewis.
Jax State scored in the bottom of the third after Bluestein had a single to centerfield and came around to score after Daniel Adamson doubled down the left field line to cut the lead to 4-3.
The Bulldogs built a 5-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning after Miles Starr had a one-out infield single, stole second and scored on a Gamecock throwing error.
The Gamecocks then took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning by scoring six runs, including five runs with two-outs.
Jake Sharrock and Andrew Edge both reached on one-out walks before Todd Cunningham loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch. Sharrock came in to score on an infield grounder to cut the lead to 5-4.
Bluestein followed with a two-RBI single to center field to give Jax State the lead. After chasing Maloof from the game, Steven Leach had a single to left field. Adamson then singled up the middle to score Bluestein, before Sam Eberle doubled to left center two score two more runs and give JSU a 9-5 lead.
The Bulldogs added a run in the sixth on a RBI double by Robbie O’Bryan and Matt Cerione had a solo homer in the top of the ninth inning for the final margin.
Leach and Adamson each finished with a pair of hits to go along with Bluestein’s three hits to lead the Gamecocks at the plate.
Jacksonville State returns to Ohio Valley Conference action with a three-game series against Eastern Kentucky. Saturday’s double-header is scheduled for 1 p.m., while Sunday’s single-game will also begin at 1 p.m.