Box Score

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Eastern Kentucky secured a spot in the ASUN Tournament semifinals with a 7-4 win over Jacksonville State on Wednesday, and Jacksonville University's loss to North Florida.
 
No. 6 seed EKU will close out pool play against No. 5 seed Jacksonville on Thursday.  The two teams will meet at Swanson Stadium on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University at 3 p.m.  Eastern Kentucky will play in the ASUN Tournament semifinals on Friday at 11 a.m.
 
The ASUN Tournament consists of two pools of four teams each.  After pool play concludes on Thursday, the top three teams from Pool A will join the Colonels, the top team from Pool B, in the single elimination semifinals.  The championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
 
It was the seventh win for Eastern Kentucky in seven games against Jacksonville State this season.  The Colonels are now 37-19 this season.  It's the most wins for an EKU team since the 1990 squad won 42 games.
 
Eastern Kentucky erased a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the second and never trailed again.  Ron Franklin Jr. drew a bases loaded walk to tie it and a sacrifice fly from Max Williams put EKU in front 2-1.
 
Four straight singles to start the third brought home two runs for the Colonels.  Logan Thomason, Will King and Charlie Ludwick started it with base knocks.  A Conner Davis single scored King and Thomason to make it 4-1.
 
The Gamecocks scored two unearned runs in the top of the fifth.  Franklin's RBI single to center in the bottom of the inning made it 5-3.  Jalen Jones gave the Colonels a 4-run cushion when he sent the ball flying over the Green Monster in left field at JetBlue Park for a 2-run home run.
 
Rian Yates started and allowed just one run on three hits over four innings.  He walked three and struck out two.  Niko Leontarakis (6-2) earned the win after pitching two scoreless innings of relief.  He allowed two hits, no walks and struck out three.
 
Jones finished the game 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.  Davis was 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs and two RBIs.  Franklin had a 1-for-2 day with two walks, a run and two RBIs.  Will King and Charlie Ludwick had three hits each and both scored a run.
 
Cole Frederick had two hits in four at bats and scored three times for Jacksonville State (27-28).