FINAL STATS

JACKSONVILLE – Nick Johnson had a RBI single in the top of the 11th inning to lead Southern Illinois to a 17-16 win over Jacksonville State in the opening game of a three-game series at Rudy Abbott Field on Friday.

Bryant George (1-0) gave up six hits in three innings of relief to earn his first win of the season for the Salukis, while Ryan Bradley had two strikeouts in the final inning to earn the save. Alex Jones (0-1) walked five and gave up three runs in three innings on the mound to suffer the loss for the Gamecocks.

Southern Illinois (1-2) jumped to an early lead after scoring three in the first and two in the second to build a 5-0 advantage. The Gamecocks (1-4) scored a run in the second on a RBI single by Andrew Edge, but the Salukis answered in the third and built a big lead.

SIU scored seven runs in the third, highlighted by a grand slam home run by Tyler Bullock to build a 12-1 lead, but the Gamecocks would battle back in the their next at-bat.

Jax State scored eight runs in the home half of the third inning, thanks to seven hits in the inning. Todd Cunningham, Jake Sharrock, Sam Eberle and Blake Seguin each drove in a run, while Matt McLaughlin and Bert Smith each drove in a pair of runs as the Gamecocks cut the lead to 12-9.

Southern Illinois added a pair of runs in the fourth inning to push the lead to 14-9, on a RBI single by Aaron Roberts and a sacrifice fly by Michael Stalter. Stalter led the Salukis with four hits in the game.

The Gamecocks scored a run in the seventh inning before scoring five runs in the eighth inning to take their first lead of the day. Edge, Smith and Jay Davis each drove in a run, while Leach had a two-RBI single to give the Gamecocks 15-14 lead.

SIU tied the game in the top of the ninth inning on a passed ball and took a 16-15 lead in the tenth inning on a pair of Gamecock errors, but JSU tied the game on a RBI single by Leach in the home half of the inning to score Smith. Smith led JSU at the plate after going 4-for-6 with three RBI.

The Salukis took advantage of a pair of walks in the 11th inning, before Johnson had the game-winning single up the middle for the final margin.

Smith led the Gamecocks after going 4-for-6 and drove in three runs, while Adamson, Edge and Blake Seguin each had three hits and Leach followed with two as JSU finished with 19 hits in the game.

The two teams will play the second game on Saturday. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Rudy Abbott Field.