JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State baseball team closed out a five-game homestand with a 10-0 loss to Troy on Wednesday evening at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Gamecocks, who fell to 6-5 overall, now turn their attention to the opening weekend of the 30-game Ohio Valley Conference schedule this weekend on the road in Edwardsville, Illinois.  The setback to Troy (9-6) snapped a four-game winning streak by the Gamecocks in the storied rivalry  JSU and SIUE will get underway at 6 p.m. on Friday to begin the three-game series.  The Gamecocks and Cougars will square off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, followed by a 1 p.m. Sunday affair.

JSU entered the midweek affair on a roll having swept Western Kentucky over the weekend, but a rough start defensively and a solid pitching outing by Troy's Houston Mabray halted the momentum gained from the weekend.  The Trojans touched Jax State starter Colton Campbell for three runs in the opening frame after a pair of JSU miscues opened the door for the big inning.  Campbell, who silenced Troy's bats last year with 8.1 innings pitched without a Trojan hit.  On Wednesday, the Trojans touched Campbell for a pair of hits and took advantage of a pair of walks, but just one of the runs in the inning was earned.

Mabray, making his second appearance of the season, went six strong innings and avoided trouble in the outing.  Mabray scatted four hits and recorded four strikeouts.  Troy's Trey Johns and Marc Skinner finished out the final three innings to record the shutout.  It marks the first time JSU has been held scoreless since April 26, 2014 – a span of 79 straight games.  The blanking by Troy is the first shutout by the Trojans since 2003.

The Gamecocks were 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 on the bases in the setback, including a bases loaded situation in the fourth against Mabray.  Senior Tyler Gamble was the lone Gamecock to have multiple hits as the Alabaster, Alabama first baseman had one of JSU's three doubles.  Senior Elliot McCummings posted a double in the fourth to start the scoring threat in the frame.  Senior Paschal Petrongolo extended his hitting streak to four games and pushed his consecutive games on base streak to 18 straight games dating back to last season. 

After Troy's three-run first inning, JSU's pitching staff settled in to record four straight scoreless Trojan innings.  With OVC play looming, the Gamecocks used six different pitchers in the contest.  Junior Nate Sylvester collected four of Troy's 10 strikeouts in two innings of work.  Freshman Garrett Farmer worked a clean fifth inning, while Troy added its fourth run off of junior Joe McGuire in the sixth.  Troy broke the game open with a two-run eighth and a four-run ninth.  Troy's final plate appearance was highlighted by a three-run blast by Reid Long.

Long and Peyton Fuller led Troy's offensive attack as the pairing combined for six of the club's 10 hits and tallied six total RBI together.

All three games of the three-game set at SIUE's Simmons Complex will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network.