JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State baseball team closed out its home Ohio Valley Conference slate with a 6-5 setback to Morehead State on Sunday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Eagles claimed all three games from the Gamecocks for the first time since the two teams became conference foes.  The loss dropped JSU to 26-25 overall and fell to 13-14 in OVC play and will need a positive weekend on the road at UT Martin to close out the season with hopes of defending its OVC Tournament title.  The UTM series will get underway on Thursday, May 14 at 6 p.m. in Martin, Tennessee.  The Eagles improved to 33-18 on the season and 18-9 in league play.

A four-run fourth and two more runs in the sixth were all the Eagles needed in the contest after trailing 1-0.  JSU starter senior Tony Urban kept MSU's high-powered offense in check for the first three innings.  Urban ran in to trouble to start the fourth as MSU strung together four consecutive hits off of Urban to equalize the game and add three more runs in the inning to take a 4-1 lead. 

JSU cut the lead in half with a solo run in the bottom half of the frame.  Junior Paul Angel led off the home half of the inning with a double down the right field line and with two down in the frame; freshman Taylor Hawthorne drilled a single to right to plate his second RBI of the contest.  The Prattville, Alabama-shortstop drove in JSU's first run of the game in the second on his first of a team-high three hits.

MSU added its final two run in the sixth with an unearned run and sacrifice fly by Kane Sweeney to drive in the sixth and final run of the game for MSU.

The Eagles' Brent Stoneking worked around trouble in his four innings of work before the Gamecocks made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh.  Hawthorne opened the inning with a double just inside the first base bag, followed by a walk by Gavin Golsan.  With one down in the inning, junior Tyler Gamble launched his sixth home run of the season to center field to get JSU within a run at 6-5.

MSU's bullpen thwarted a JSU threat in the eighth and closed out the game with Tyler Keele earning his fourth save of the game.

JSU will host in-state rival UAB on Tuesday night in the home finale at 6 p.m.  The contest is a make up game from earlier in the season.  Admission is free for all JSU students and fans 18 and under.