OXFORD - Jacksonville State senior Joe McGuire powered the Gamecocks past Belmont, 9-4, in the opening game of a key Ohio Valley Conference weekend series at Choccolocco Park in Oxford.

McGuire, playing in his hometown, collected three hits and drove in a career high six RBI to propel JSU to the win.  McGuire's big night included a three-run home run over the right field wall that gave JSU a 3-1 lead in the second after Belmont's Nick Egli belted the first of two home runs on the night in the top half if the third.  His second home run of the night equalized the contest in the fifth inning.  Jax State (19-16, 8-8 OVC) broke the deadlock with a three-run fifth that included a one-out double by McGuire that scored two runs – one of which was pushed across the plate on a throwing error by the Bruins.

McGuire delivered again late in the contest with a single to right that scored two of the three runs in the eighth to break open the game.  McGuire nearly matched his RBI total for the season as he had seven RBI coming in to Friday's affair.   The home run was the first of the season and third of his career.  The three-hit performance matched his career high.  McGuire is scheduled to pitch the third game of the series as the right hander will take a 6-0 record in to the final game of the three-game set.

While McGuire was handling the offense, sophomore Derrick Adams was sharp on the mound and earned his third win of the season.  The Decatur, Alabama left hander pitched in to the seventh before being lifted after going 6.1 innings and throwing 127 pitches.  Adams continued to post high strike out numbers by fanning seven Bruins in the outing and allowing six hits by the visitors.  The three runs he allowed all came from Egli's balls that left the yard.  Junior Trent Simpson followed Adams for the next 1.2 innings.  The Oxford, Alabama native recorded a pair of strikeouts and squashed a Bruin rally in the eighth with just one run allowed in the frame.   The threat ended with Simpson inducing a fly ball to right field that was caught by Chase Robinson and Robinson threw out the Bruin attempting to take home on the play with a dart to the plate.

Simpson and Robinson joined McGuire with multiple hits as the combo had two hits each  Junior Clayton Daniel had JSU's seventh RBI with after working a bases-loaded walk in the eighth.

The two teams will square off in the second game of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.  Tickets are available at JSUGamecockSports.com and all JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.  Saturday's contest will be available on the Gamecock Sports Network and streamed online on the OVC Digital Network.