TROY, Ala. – The Jacksonville State baseball team won its second consecutive contest with a 9-7 decision over in-state nemesis Troy on Wednesday night at Riddle-Pace Field on the Troy campus.

After sweeping the midweek set at UAB on Tuesday and Wednesday's win over the Trojans, the Gamecocks improved to 4-5 overall, while Troy dropped to 4-4 on the season.  Jax State will now return to Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium for a lengthy time frame as it will play 15 of the 19 games in the month of March in the first-year facility.  JSU will begin the month on Friday, March 1, starting a three-game series with Florida International.  FIU will be visiting Jacksonville after JSU traveled to Miami, Florida the past two seasons.  Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m. followed by a pair of 1 p.m. start times on Saturday and Sunday.

The Gamecocks scored in bunches of three in three innings for the win, including a three spot in the eighth to regain the lead.  Sophomore Alex Strachan, who reached base four times in the contest, started the frame with a single back up the middle, followed by junior Tre Kirklin beating out an infield hit.  Junior Alex Webb turned a pinch hit sacrifice bunt situation in to a run-scoring play as he placed the bunt down third base and beat an errant throw, scoring Strachan.  Junior Andrew Naismith and sophomore Isaac Alexander delivered back-to-back RBI singles to extend the lead to 9-6. 

It was another come-from-behind win for JSU as Troy touched Naismith with three runs in the opening inning.  Troy put together the three runs on four hits, highlighted by the first of two home runs by Sadler Goodwin.  Goodwin posted a two-run home run to left field in the first and aided Troy's three-run sixth with a solo shot to right center.  The Trojans cut the lead to 9-7 with a solo home run by Reed Smith.

Jax State used the long ball as well as they put up six of the nine runs on on just four hits until finishing with nine hits off six Trojan tossers.  Junior Taylor Craven cranked his third home run of the season in the first nine games with a two-run blast over the left field fence.  Strachan belted his second home run of the season with a two-out solo home run to the same spot. 

JSU used four arms out of the bullpen and saw an upward trend with freshman Isaiah Magwood.  Magwood went four innings and scattered four hits and collected four strikeouts.  Sophomore Colin Casey and Austin Brewster combined to limit Troy to one run over the next three innings and get out of jams.  Brewster fanned three in his second outing of the week.  Sophomore Christian Edwards tallied his second save in as many nights with a clean ninth inning.  It was his second save of the season.

Season tickets and individual game tickets for JSU baseball are available online at JSUGamecockSports.com.  All JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger get in free.  All three games against FIU will be streamed on ESPN+.