JACKSONVILLE – A battle between two of the top pitchers in the Ohio Valley Conference turned in to a slugfest on Friday night as Tennessee Tech scored a pair of runs in the ninth to down Jacksonville State 10-8 in the opening game of a key OVC series at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Tech come-from-behind win was the third consecutive conference loss in which the Gamecocks dropped in the final inning.  Last weekend, JSU fell victim to a pair of walk-off setbacks at Murray State.  The loss drops Jax State to 17-14 overall and 6-7 in OVC play.  The win improved Tech to 14-18 on the season and 7-9 against conference foes.

JSU's Zachary Fowler and TTU's Chris Chism, both entered the night with five wins each and two of the league's top Friday night starters.  Both right handers struggled early and did not figure in to a decision.  The Golden Eagles touched Fowler for a run in the first inning, but Fowler settled in after the Gamecock offense plated a pair of runs in the first and the second.  The Daphne, Alabama-native ran in to some trouble in the third after an error opened the door for Tech to take a 5-4 lead on Ryan Flick's three-run home run to right center.
The Gamecocks responded in the bottom half of the third to regain the lead after Paul Angel tripled to center to score Ryan Sebra.  Elliot McCummings followed with a single to send Angel home.  The Sebra, Angel tandem combined for six of JSU's 15 hits, which is the most by the club in a conference contest this season.  Sebra, from Ormond Beach, Florida has hit safely in all 13 games and has multiple hits in 12 of the 13 OVC games.

Tech added two runs in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead after a pair of two-out RBI singles by David Allen and Dylan Bosheers.  The Gamecocks equalized in their at bat with a sacrifice fly RBI by Hayden White.   

JSU took an 8-7 lead over the Purple and Gold in the seventh as it took advantage of a misplayed ball in left field, scoring Ty Pierce.  Pierce pinch ran for Paschal Petrongolo, who carded a three-hit night.

The JSU bullpen struggled to hold the advantage in the eighth and the ninth.  Tech evened the contest in the eighth with an unearned run.  Anthony El Chibani, who reached base via a fielding miscue in left, scored from second on Tyler Brazelton's single to right field.
JSU looked to take the lead with a pair of runners in scoring position in the eighth, but Travis Moths thwarted the threat with a strikeout.  Moths earned the win (2-3) after pitched the eighth inning.

TTU took advantage of a leadoff walk off of freshman Grant Chandler.  Josh Pankratz drove in the eventual winning run with a single to left.  The Golden Eagles added an insurance run in the frame with an RBI single by Matt Cunningham.  Cain Sloan closed out JSU in the ninth to earn his third save of the year.  Chandler was saddled with the loss and dropped to 2-1 on the season.

The Gamecocks and Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest at Rudy Abbott Field.  JSU will send senior Tony Urban to the hill in the second game of the series.  Admission is free for JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under.  The game will also be available on the OVC Digital Network.