JACKSONVILLE – For the second consecutive day, Jacksonville State erased a Valparaiso lead to earn a win, but on Saturday the Gamecocks rallied for an 11-10 walk-off win and claim the series over the Crusaders on Saturday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field.

Jax State (2-0) erased a trio of leads by Valpo (0-2), including a six-run deficit after three innings and a late two-run margin, as it entered its final at bat down 10-9.  The final frame started with a leadoff single by senior Gavin Golsan, who was pushed to second on a ground ball by Clayton Daniel.  Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selection, Paschal Petrongolo delivered the game-tying double to right center, driving in Golsan.  Golsan and Petrongolo each had two hits, including a solo home run by Golsan in the sixth to spark JSU's comeback. 

With two outs in the ninth, sophomore catcher Hayden White's hit a ball to the Crusaders' second baseman, Chase Dawson, sailed his throw to first to allow for the winning run to score and give JSU a chance for a sweep on the opening weekend of the season.  JSU and Valpo will close out the series with a 1 p.m. contest at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Crusaders touched the Gamecocks' pitching early with eight runs in the first three frames, including a seven-run third inning after Jax State took a 2-1 lead in the second.  Valpo touched JSU left hander Jack Pierce for a run in the first and surrendered eight runs on six hits, but just three of the runs were earned in his first outing of the season.

Sophomore Colton Campbell came in from the bullpen to quiet the Valpo offense with 3.1 scoreless innings, which allowed JSU to climb back in to the game.  The Gamecocks plated solo runs in the fourth and fifth as freshman third baseman Austin Green delivered an RBI single to left field in the fourth.  Green, a redshirt freshman from Smyrna, Georgia, has started his Gamecock career with a pair of solid outings.  He turned in a pair of hits and drove in a pair of runs.  JSU opened the fifth with a leadoff double from senior Paul Angel, who turned in a 4-for-6 day at the dish.  Angel scored on another Valpo fielding miscue off the bat of Green.

Jax State's big inning came in the sixth as it scored four runs to make it an 8-all deadlock.  The frame was highlighted by back-to-back home runs by Golsan and Daniel to left field.  The solo shot by Golsan was the first out-of-the-park home run as the Trussville, Alabama product turned in an inside-the-park round tripper during the opening weekend of the 2015 season.  It was also Daniel's first career home run.  Senior Elliott McCummings, who had four of JSU's 18 hits, drove in one of his three RBI as Tyler Gamble scored after reaching via a walk.  Angel scored the game-tying run after another error by Valpo.

Valpo responded in the seventh with a pair of runs to push the lead back out to a pair of runs.  Josh Clark and Sam Shakin registered the two RBIs in the inning off of JSU's Joe McGuire.

The Gamecocks answered and threated to even the contest and take the lead in the eighth, but settled for a run as McCummings collected another single to right field, scoring Angel, who recorded a one-out single.

Sophomore Faleniko Teofilo pitched the ninth for JSU and earned his first career win as a Gamecock after a quick ninth.

Sunday's game will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network with Mike Parris behind the microphone.