JACKSONVILLE – Five Jacksonville State pitchers combined for a shutout of in-state rival South Alabama on Tuesday night as JSU blanked the Jaguars 3-0 at Rudy Abbott Field.

Graham Officer, Grant Chandler, Justin Hoyt, Joe McGuire and Travis Stout baffled USA hitters for nine innings and allowed just two hits in the first of a two-game midweek set with the visitors from Mobile.  The Jaguars, who did not get a hit in the final five innings, entered the contest as the top hitting team in the Sun Belt Conference with a mark of .289.  Officer made his second career start and got things started with a quick three innings of work.  Officer allowed just one hit in his stint on the hill and registered a pair of strike outs.  Chandler issued the final Jaguar hit as Ben Gann posted a two-out double in the fourth. USA would have just two base runners the rest of the way.  Matt Bolger had a walk in the fifth and a leadoff walk off McGuire in the eighth.

Stout,who was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year midseason watch list earlier in the day, collected his ninth save of the season and the 41^st of his career.  Officer picked up the win after his superb start on the hill and moved to 3-1 on the season.

JSU, who moved to 20-19 on the season and snapped a four-game losing streak in the process, posted its second shutout of the season and the third time this season holding the opposition to just two hits.  The Jaguars dropped to 25-16 overall and their third straight defeat.  The win was JSU's first over USA since a 10-9 win in 2005 and the first blanking of the Jaguars since the first meeting between the two in-state programs in 1996.

The Gamecock bats aided the pitching staff in the third with the first run of the night.  Peyton Williams belted a double to left field and after two were down in the frame, Paschal Petrongolo looped a ball down the right field line to plate Williams.  Petrongolo was the only Gamecock to have multiple hits in the decision.

With the stellar outings on the mound that run would be all Jax State would need, but it added insurance runs in the sixth.  The Gamecocks finished with seven hits but four were for extra bases.  JSU strung together three of the four doubles in the sixth as Tyler Gamble started the inning with a double and scored on Elliot McCummings two-bagger down the third base line.  Josh Bobo drove in McCummings with the third double of the inning.

The two teams close out the midweek series on Wednesday with an afternoon contest.  First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Rudy Abbott Field.  All JSU students and fans 18 and under are admitted free.