Box Score

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State rallied from a 7-3 deficit scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth to cap the come back and earn an 8-7 win over Tennessee Tech on Saturday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Gamecocks swept the three-game Ohio Valley Conference series, improving to 16-12 overall and 5-1 in the OVC wile the Eagles fell to 11-17 overall and 0-3 in league play.

Bert Smith walked and stole second to start the ninth before Tech reliever Stephen Pryor struck out the next two batters to put JSU down to is final out. Kyle Bluestein reached on an infield single to third to advance Smith to third and moved to second on a catcher's indifference to bring up Daniel Adamson.

Adamson reached on an infield single to short to score Smith from third to tie the game and Kyle Bluestein crossed the plate with the game-winning run after Chad Hayes throw got by the Eagles' first baseman.

The Gamecocks held an early 3-1 lead after scoring one in the first and two in the third. Andrew Edge, who had two hits and two RBI on the afternoon, delivered a double to score Todd Cunningham, who was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Edge got his second RBI on a single up the middle and Sam Eberle was credited with an RBI on a ground out in the third.

Tennessee Tech scored four in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 7-3 lead. Chad Oberacker highlighted TTU's four-run third with a three-run home run to give the Eagles a 5-3 lead. Ben Burgess had an RBI single and another run scored on a ground out in the fifth.

The Gamecocks chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the fifth and a run in the sixth. Bluestein, who finished with two hits and two RBI, belted his fourth home run of the season in the fifth and Cunningham's RBI double in the sixth trimmed the lead to 7-6 and set up the JSU ninth.

Bill Henke (2-0) worked a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts to earn the win. JSU starter Austin Lucas pitched four innings, allowing five runs on eight. Daniel Watts gave up two runs on two hits with three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work. Tanner Freshour and Todd Hornsby each worked a third of an inning before giving way to Henke.

Pryor (2-2) was saddled with the loss in relief of starter Tristan Archer. Pryor worked two scoreless innings with nine strikeouts before giving up two runs on two hits in the ninth.

Jacksonville State continues its seven-game home stand against Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. before hosting a three-game OVC series against Murray State next weekend.