JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State claimed the opening series of Ohio Valley Conference play after erupting for eight runs over the last four innings to down Eastern Illinois, 12-5, on Sunday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.

Coupled with Jax State's 12th-inning walk off win, it has now won eight straight series over the Panthers, dating back to 2012.  The Gamecocks improved to 7-10 overall and 2-1 after the first weekend of conference activity.  EIU dropped to 4-9 on the season and 1-2 in the OVC.

Junior Chase Robinson broke up a 4-4 deadlock in the fifth with a two-out double in to the right field corner, plating senior Nic Gaddis and sophomore Alex Strachan.  Gaddis, who finished Sunday 3-for-4 at the plate, had a one-out single, followed by Strachan's double inside the third base line.  Robinson posted a .333 batting average in the first OVC set with four hits, including a home run on Friday.  Gaddis, from Trenton, Georgia, capped off his first league weekend of the season with a three-run home run that broke open the game in the home half of the eighth.

The lead was extended to 8-4 in the seventh on the second of three home runs on the day by U after junior Taylor Craven belted his OVC-best sixth home run of the season.  The Wadley, Alabama native entered the weekend as the conference leader in home runs but started Sunday as the co-leader in the OVC with Morehead State's Hunter Fain.  Sophomore Cole Frederick, who connected on the walk off home run on Friday, tallied his second home run on the weekend in the fourth.  Frederick's solo dinger equalized the contest at 4-4.

It was a battle of the bullpens between EIU and JSU as both Sunday starters exited before the end of the first inning.  EIU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning without recording a hit off of Dylan Hathcock.  EIU starter, Ryan Ignoffo, could not finish the first frame as JSU plated two runs off of an errant throw by the Panther shortstop.

Sophomore Colin Casey turned in a career-long 3.2 innings to settle in to the contest before junior Alex London recorded the final two outs in the fifth.  London picked up his first win as a Gamecock.  Junior Corley Woods tossed the final four frames notched his first career save.  Woods picked up a win in Friday's 5-4 extended game.  JSU roughed up EIU reliever Josh Cooper for four innings as he allowed four runs on four hits.

EIU took a 3-2 lead in the second on Jimmy Govern's third home run of the weekend.  JSU answered with another unearned run in the bottom of the inning as Frederick's fly ball to right field was mishandled and the Tuscaloosa, Alabama product raced to the third.  Sophomore Isaac Alexander picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Junior Alex Webb finished the weekend on a high note with a pair of hits and threw out a runner trying to take second base.  Webb's second hit of the day drove in a run.

The Gamecocks continue its lengthy stay at home in the month of March with a Wednesday evening match up with the Trojans of Troy.  JSU will be looking for the season sweep of its in-state nemesis after topping the Trojans, 9-7, in Troy on February 27.  JSU steps back out of conference play as it welcomes first-time foe and Big 10 Conference member Purdue to Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium for a weekend series, beginning on Friday, March 15.  ALl four game will be available on ESPN+ and on the Gamecock Sports Network.

First pitch against Troy is set for 6 p.m.  For ticket information, log on to JSUGamecockSPorts.com.  All JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.