JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State claimed its third consecutive weekend series after preserving a 7-6 win on Saturday over Air Force at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Gamecocks have now won seven in a row and 10 of the last 12 games to improve to 16-8 overall.  The Falcons' slide continued with their sixth loss in a row and fell to 9-16 on the season.  Jax State will look to complete its second straight weekend sweep on Sunday against Air Force with a 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday at Rudy Abbott Field.

After the Falcons manufactured a run off of Tony Urban in the first inning, Urban settled in for the next five innings and held Air Force in check until he ran in to trouble in the seventh.  The senior southpaw from West Deptford, New Jersey was solid throughout with five strikeouts and did not give up a free pass in 6.1 innings pitched – which matched a season-high.

The Gamecocks had two big innings with three runs in the second and a trio in the fourth.  After Tyler Gamble led off the second frame with a single, Air Force starter Jacob DeVries ran in to trouble with a hit by pitch and a walk to load the bases of Gamecocks.  A pass ball equalized the contest and JSU would add two more runs on RBIs by Josh Bobo and a run-scoring single by catcher Daniel Gaither.

JSU expanded the lead to 6-1 after a three-run fourth that was highlighted by a pair of doubles from Bobo and Gavin Golsan.  After back-to-back singles by Elliot McCummings and Peyton Williams, Bobo ripped a double down the left field line to plate McCummings.  Golsan drilled one just inside the line in left field for a pair of RBI.  The Trussville, Alabama-native turned in a 3-for-5 day at the dish along with a pair of stolen bases.

With the Gamecocks cruising thanks to solid pitching by Urban, things tightened up in the seventh.  Air Force cut the lead to 6-4 after Russell Williams belted an Urban 3-2 pitch over the left field fence.  The Falcons added a run in the eighth after scoring on a Gamecock's pass ball.

JSU would get that run back after it manufactured a run in the home half of the eighth, which would be the eventual game winner.  A leadoff walk came back to haunt the Falcons as Peyton Williams was moved around the base paths via a sacrifice bunt and scored on a ground out to second.

Senior Travis Stout earned his seventh save of the season and worked around trouble in the ninth.  Air Force's Tyler Saleck tripled to center after one out in the frame and scored on a sacrifice fly to right.  Stout finished off the Falcons with a ground ball back to him.

Gamble also had a multiple hit game with two hits, while Bobo matched Golsan with a pair of RBI.

Admission to JSU baseball is free for JSU students and fans ages 18 and under. It will also be Military Appreciation Weekend, where all active military and veterans will receive free admission for them and their families at all three games.