JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State claimed its Ohio Valley Conference weekend series with Tennessee Tech with a 12-10 slugfest on Saturday night on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.

The Gamecocks (13-14, 5-3 OVC) claimed their second OVC series of the season and will be looking for a sweep of the Golden Eagles (11-13, 2-9 OVC) on Sunday in the series finale.  First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.  Tickets are available on JSUGamecockSports.com and JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.

JSU erased a 7-1 deficit with a six-run fourth inning that was highlighted by a bases-clearing triple to the right centerfield gap by redshirt freshman Nash Adams that trimmed the TTU lead down to a run at 7-6.  Jax State took advantage of three walks by Tech starter Mark Leonard and a single by Isaac Alexander sandwiched between the free passes.  Sophomore Cole Frederick put the ball in play for the game-tying RBI.  The Gamecocks capped off biggest run-producing inning of the season with junior Andrew Naismith's triple to left field.

Tech equalized two at bats later with a fielder's choice RBI, but junior Corley Woods limited the Golden Eagles to the one run after getting out of a bases-loaded jam.  Woods finished the sixth and pitched the seventh and tallied the first two outs in the eighth.  Woods wound up the winning pitcher and moved to 3-0 on the season, but it was the work of senior Cody Willingham that kept JSU in the game after Tech scored seven runs in the first three innings, including a four spot in the first inning off of JSU starter Trey Fortner.

Willingham tossed a career high 3.2 innings and collected a career-best six strikeouts in the outing.  The Rainsville, Alabama native scattered five hits and allowed one run against Tech.

Jax State broke open the 8-8 deadlock with four runs with two outs in the seventh.  Senior Nic Gaddis started the inning with one of his three hits on the night as he turned in a leadoff double.  Tech's Thomas Saliba looked to avoid trouble after getting the next two Gamecock hitters, but Alexandria singled to left, plating the go-ahead run.  Alexander's hit sparked the JSU order as freshman Carson Crowe pelted a double to right center field, followed by a pinch-hit RBI single by Zeth Malcom.  Adams reached on a TTU throwing error that allowed pinch runner Grant Atkins to score.

Junior Jackson Tavel, facing the TTU line up for the second consecutive day finished the eighth and tallied the first two outs in the ninth.  TTU's Keven Strohschein had the first of back-to-back home runs in the final at bat.  Strohschein was one of two Tech hitters to go 4-for-5 on the night.  Nathan McMeans also had four hits.  TTU's Jason Hinchman followed Strohschein's home run.

Senior Austin Brewster recorded his second career save in as many games with the final out.

Sunday's matinee will be available on ESPN+ and aired on the Gamecock Sports Network.