JACKSONVILLE – Kennesaw State rallied for seven runs in the eighth inning to hand Jacksonville State its first loss in the ASUN with a 7-4 decision on Saturday night on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.

Jax State's loss (14-13, 7-1 ASUN) is the first against a conference foe since May 13 of last season after it put together 12 consecutive wins spanning two seasons. The Owls (12-13, 4-3 ASUN) forced a rubber game of the series after the Gamecocks started the weekend with an 11-4 win on Friday night. Sunday's finale will start at 1 p.m. Tickets are available online at JSUGamecockSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.

After being shutout for seven complete innings by Gamecock starter Tanner Jones, the Owls greeted the JSU bullpen with the first six hitters reaching and erasing a 3-0 deficit before an out was recorded in the inning. KSU roughed up junior Jake Peppers with a pair of hits, including a walk and a hit by pitch. KSU's Wade Richardson delivered the go-ahead runs with a double down the left field line. The inning was highlighted by a three-run home run by KSU's Tyler Franks.

KSU's rally spoiled a career start for sophomore Tanner Jones. Jones battled for seven complete innings and tallied a career-high 11 strikeouts in the outing. He surrendered one hit, but had five uncharacteristic walks for the Thorsby, Alabama native. He squeezed out of a few jams in the appearance, including a bases loaded and no outs situation. He stranded all three Owls on the bases.

Jones received run support from the top offensive team in ASUN action with single runs in the first, third and fourth. Senior T.J. Reeves droves in two of the four runs with a three-hit night. He had a one-out RBI single in the first and a two-out RBI base hit in the third inning. Freshman Bear Madliak lifted a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to score JSU's run in the fourth. KSU kept Jax State from having a big inning throughout the night, including a bases loaded situation in the ninth with the winning run at the plate.

Junior Javon Hernandez posted another three-hit performance on Saturday and now has multiple hits in seven of the eight ASUN games. Hernandez has 13 multi-hit games the season and is currently hitting .636 against ASUN pitching. Senior Carson Crowe finished with a pair of hits in the loss, while junior Manson Maners saw his 38-game on-base streak halted on Saturday.