JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Travis Felax fired the fourth complete game of his college career Friday night but it came in a losing effort. Jacksonville State slipped by SIUE with a 2-1 win in the opener of a three-game  Ohio Valley Conference baseball series at Rudy Abbott Field.

SIUE, now 5-8 overall and 3-1 in the OVC, managed just four hits against Gamecocks' starter Casey Antley and three relievers. Antley earned the win with seven shutout innings. He struck out five.

"I told the team it's tough to win on the road," SIUE Interim Head Coach Tony Stoecklin said. "We're not going to beat many teams when we get only four hits and commit three errors."

JSU, now 9-10, 3-1, led from the outset. Centerfielder Michel Bishop doubled to lead off the bottom of the first inning. He went to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Griff Gordon.

JSU second baseman Coty Blanchard led off the fourth inning with an infield hit and then stole second base. Two batters later Andrew Bishop doubled to right field to drive in Blanchard to make it 2-0.

Felax fell to 2-2 with the loss. He allowed the two runs on five hits. He tied his season-high with eight strikeouts.  

"From the sixth inning on, he was sharper," Stoecklin said. "He had more velocity on his fastball and his slider was sharper."

Blanchard had three of Jacksonville State's five hits. He was 3 for 3 with a run scored.

The Cougars made things interesting in the ninth. Matt Highland walked to start the inning. Joel Greatting hit a bounding ball over second base which was fielded by Bishop. Bishop threw wildly to first. Greatting was credited with an infield hit, while Highland advanced to third on the errant throw. He scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.

Aside from Greatting, James Vazquez, Ryan Mansfield, and Skyler Geissinger had hits for the Cougars.

SIUE and Jacksonville State play the second game of the three-game series Saturday. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m.

"We're going to come out tomorrow and give ourselves a better chance to win," Stoecklin said.