JACKSONVILLE – For the second consecutive game, Jacksonville State got superb starting pitching as the Gamecocks topped Belmont 9-2 to claim the Ohio Valley Conference series on Saturday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field.

After a solid outing by senior Zach Fowler on Friday's 8-6 win, Jax State turned to freshman Jake Walsh on Saturday.  Walsh was stellar in his start as he turned in a career performance against the Bruins.  The Melbourne, Florida-native went a career-high seven innings and registered eight strike outs.  Walsh scattered six Belmont hits and allowed just two runs.  He allowed an early run in the first inning, but settled in to hold the Bruins scoreless until a solo home run by Drew Fullerton in the sixth.

JSU's offense spotted Walsh a comfortable lead after the first run in the top half of the inning as the Gamecocks would explode for five runs on four of their eight hits in the first inning.  Junior Paschal Petrongolo, who has collected four hits off BU pitching in the first two games, drove in the run of the game with a single to right.  After a Ryan Sebra walk and a single by Paul Angel to load the bases, freshman catcher Hayden White delivered a bases-clearing triple to the gap in right center to give the Red and White a 5-1 lead.

The win pushed JSU's (22-2) OVC mark to 9-11 on the season and it claimed its third conference series of the season.  With the loss, the Bruins (21-20, 10-9 OVC) have now dropped their last three series and four of their last five league contests.  JSU has now won back-to-back series versus Belmont after taking 2-of-3 last season in Nashville.

The Gamecocks expanded the lead in the middle innings with four more runs.  Junior Gavin Golsan lifted a fly ball to left center to score White, who started the fourth inning with a hit by pitch.  JSU plated two more runs in the fifth on Elliot McCumming's two-run blast over the left center fence, scoring Sebra, who reached on one of four Bruin errors in the contest. 

JSU posted the ninth run of the contest in the sixth after Angel popped up a foul ball down the left field line to send Petrongolo home.
Freshman Justin Hoyt finished the final two innings for the Gamecocks as he fanned four in his two frames of work.

The Gamecocks will look for their second OVC sweep of the season on Sunday as the two squads close out the weekend series at 1 p. m. at Rudy Abbott Field.  Admission is free to all JSU student and all fans ages 18 and under.