Box Score JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State baseball team is the only undefeated team in the Ohio Valley Conference after winning its 12^th consecutive Ohio Valley Conference game over Murray State, 11-4, on Friday in the three-game series opener at Rudy Abbott Field.

Coupled with Southeast Missouri's 6-1 loss at Austin Peay on Friday and JSU's 10^th straight league win this season, the Gamecocks take over sole possession of first place in the conference standings.  JSU reached the 20-win mark (20-9) with the win, while MSU dropped to 15-18 overall and 5-8 in OVC play.

Another quality effort by senior righthander Graham Officer along with timely hits and taking advantage of four Racer errors proved to be the difference in the contest.  Officer went six innings and only ran into trouble in the fifth inning as MSU strung together three two-out hits and had four of its nine hits off of Officer in the inning to plate the only Racer runs in the contest.

Jax State chased Racer lefthander Jack Hranec after three innings after staking Officer to a 3-0 lead in the second.  The Gamecocks, who had the leadoff man reach base in seven of the eight plate appearances, had the first two get aboard as senior Elliott McCummings punched a single up the middle, followed by sophomore Taylor Hawthorne's base hit to right field.  After a wild pitch to move up a base, McCummings scored a passed ball for the first run of the contest.  The first of four miscues by the Racers' infield opened the door for more scoring by JSU as Peyton William's reached via the error to score Hawthorne.  Sophomore Clayton Daniel posted his RBI in the inning with a single to left center.

Hranec, who had his shortest stint of the season on Friday, was greeted in the third with back-to-back home runs by senior Tyler Gamble and McCummings.  It was the fourth time this season that the Gamecocks have had back-to-back home runs this season.  With A.J. Reynolds' leadoff blast in the eighth, Jax State has now had 11 leadoff home runs this season.  It was Reynolds first career home run as a Gamecock.

After the Racers four-run fifth to make it a one-run contest, the Gamecocks matched the visitors with four runs in the bottom of the frame.  Even though JSU registered four hits in the inning, it was Racer miscues that aided in the big inning.  JSU scored runs on a wild pitch, a throwing error and a bases-loaded walk.  Reynolds drove in the first of his pair of RBI with a single to left field.

JSU needed just two pitchers in the Friday contest as Nate Sylvester came in to finish the final three innings in relief and pick up his second save of the season as he entered the contest in the seventh.  Sylvester closed the door on MSU's offense only allowing two hits and struck out four in his outing. 

Gamble, who had two hits and a pair of RBI in the win, drove in his second run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.  JSU finished with 12 hits in the contest and reached double figure hits for the eighth time against OVC foes this year and has scored double digit runs in four of the first 10 league games.

The two clubs will meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the second game of the series.  Admission is free for JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under. The Game will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network.