FINAL STATS

JACKSONVILLE – Steven Leach went 3-for-5 as the Gamecocks rallied for an 8-5 win over Middle Tennessee State to even the series on Saturday at Rudy Abbott Field.

Freshman Hunter Rivers (2-0) allowed just one hit in one inning of relief to earn his second win of the season. Alex Jones pitched a scoreless final 2 1/3 innings to earn his first save of the year. Nick Montgomery (3-1) gave up four runs and had two walks in one inning to suffer his first loss of the season for the Blue Raiders.

MTSU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Will Skinner, but the Gamecocks tied the game in the third inning on a RBI single by Bert Smith.

Jax State took its first lead of the game in the fifth inning on a RBI single by Leach to give JSU a 2-1 edge.

The Blue Raiders plated three runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a solo home run by Bryce Brentz, as MTSU took a 4-2 lead.

The Gamecocks took the lead for good in the home half of the sixth inning after scoring five runs. Andrew Edge had a two-RBI single, while Blake Seguin followed with a double down the left field line to score Edge, and Todd Cunningham hit a two-run home run to centerfield as Jax State took a 7-4 lead.

MTSU cut the lead to 7-5 in the seventh after Brentz scored on a passed ball, but Sam Eberle slugged a solo home run to lead off the home half of the seventh for the final margin.

Cunningham, Edge, Seguin and Bert Smith each added two hits as the Gamecocks' finished with 13 in the game.

Brentz finished with three hits, while Skinner added to hits to lead the Blue Raiders.

The two teams will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Rudy Abbott Field.