THE RUNDOWN
No. 13 DBU (40-16) saw their run at a third-straight Conference USA Championship game come to an end Saturday night, falling 5-3 to Jacksonville State (37-24) at Worthington Field. A clutch two-run single by Matthew Cash in the top of the eighth proved to be the game-winner, eliminating the Patriots from the CUSA Tournament.
 
DBU's Jerrod Jenkins and Jacksonville State's James Wilson traded zeros through the first three innings in a tightly contested pitchers' duel. The Gamecocks struck first in the fourth on a Greyson Ashe RBI single to right field. DBU responded in the bottom of the fifth when Ben Tryon launched a towering solo shot to left, his second home run of the day and third of the season, knotting the game at 1-1.
 
Jacksonville State regained the lead in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, a groundout to Chayton Krauss at first plated Cooper Blauser. Moments later, a wild pitch allowed Hudson Walburn to score from third, giving the Gamecocks a 3-1 cushion.
 
DBU clawed back in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and Keaton Grady on first, Luke Heefner stepped to the plate as the tying run. After working a 2-0 count, Heefner hammered the next pitch over the right field wall, tying the game at three apiece.
 
But the Gamecocks had the final answer. In the top of the eighth, Cash delivered a two-out, two-run single off DBU reliever Luke Pettitte to put Jacksonville State back in front, 5-3.
 
The Patriots had a golden opportunity in the bottom half of the eighth, as Michael Dattalo and Nathan Humphreys each reached base to open the inning. However, Brice Deaton struck out Grant Jay, and reliever Ryan Geraghty came in to record the final two outs, stranding both runners and silencing the rally.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - The Patriots will miss the conference tournament championship game for just the second time in the last nine years.
- DBU was outhit 26-15 in their two tournament losses to Jacksonville State.
- All three of Ben Tryon's home runs have come in the team's 10-day road trip to Lynchburg, Virginia.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
208 - With Saturday's start, Nathan Humphreys moves into fifth place all-time in DBU history with 208 career starts.
96 - DBU has slugged 96 home runs this year. The Patriots will enter the postseason four home runs shy of joining the 2023 squad as the only team in program history to hit 100 homers and steal 100 bases in a season.
7 - Chayton Krauss led DBU with seven hits in the CUSA Tournament.
 
UP NEXT
With their conference tournament run now complete, DBU awaits its postseason fate. The NCAA Division I Baseball Selection Show is set for Monday at 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPN2, where the Patriots will learn their regional destination for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

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