JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State remained in contention for one of the three ASUN Baseball Championship spots from the ASUN West Division with an 8-7 win on Sunday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.

The JSU (23-27) win secured the sixth series win of the season and moved to 16-11 in the ASUN West Division. The Gamecocks will enter the final weekend of the regular season a game back of UCA (23-26) and Lipscomb (17-10). JSU will travel to Louisville, Kentucky to face Bellarmine in the final series that begins on Thursday, May 19. UCA will host Eastern Kentucky, while LU will close out the regular season at home against North Alabama.

A five-run fifth inning for the Gamecocks was the difference in the contest after breaking a 3-3 deadlock through the first four innings. The inning was kick started by senior Javier Ramirez registering his first career home run as a Gamecock in his final week on the home turf. His hit was the first of five in the frame off of UCA pitcher Andrew Shoultz. After sophomore Mason Maners dialed in a bunt single, the Gamecocks used the long ball as junior T.J. Reeves belted a two-run home run over the centerfield fence to expand the lead. Reeves' home run was the third of the day for JSU as senior Cole Frederick erased an early 1-0 UCA lead with a two-run home run the opposite way. The hit moved him into sole possession of third place on JSU's all-time career hits list with 273 career hits.

After senior Alex Carignan connected on a double, junior Carson Crowe delivered an RBI single. Senior Alex Strachan pushed the final run of the inning across the plate on a sacrifice bunt. Crowe finished with a pair of hits to join Carignan and Maners with multiple hits.

Jax State nursed the lead over the next four innings and staved off a Bears' rally in the seventh and eighth. UCA cut the lead to 8-6 with three runs in the seventh and added another run in the eighth.

The Gamecocks' bullpen carried the club as junior Trey Fortner tossed a pair of innings, followed by senior Dylan Hathcock's three innings of work after collecting a two-inning save in JSU's 3-1 win on Saturday. Hathcock recorded the win, while freshman AJ Causey secured his eighth save of the season with 2.2 innings and three strikeouts.

Freshman Brennen Norton had an RBI single early in the game, scoring senior Isaac Alexander on the play after he connected on his first triple of the season.

Before the Gamecocks make their second trip to the Bluegrass State, they will wrap up the 2022 home slate with a Tuesday contest with Alabama State. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium. Tickets are available online at JSUGamecockSports.com and all JSU students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. The midweek contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.