JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville erased an early 4-0 deficit on Sunday to claim the ASUN series with a 6-5 decision over Jacksonville State on Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.

The Dolphins (24-13, 9-6 ASUN) equalized with a two-out, two-run home run by Kris Armstrong, who ranks second in NCAA Division I Baseball with 19 home runs on the season in the eighth inning and pushed a pair of runs across the plate in the ninth inning to take the first lead of the day. The Gamecocks eyed a late game come-from-behind situation in their last chance at the plate with a lead single by junior Javon Hernandez and an RBI double by junior Mason Maners. Maners was left stranded at third base after Chris Lotito retired the next three Jax State hitters to collect his second save of the weekend and 11th of the season.

Jax State (17-17, 10-5 ASUN) started fast with a solo home run by Maners in the first inning and adding three runs in the second frame off of JU's Richard Long. With Long on the ropes and JSU eyeing a much larger run-producing inning with the bases loaded, he induced a double play to get out of the jam. Getting out of that inning gave JU life as Long would end up going 5.2 innings and scattering nine JSU hits.

The Gamecocks three-run second was highlighted by a sacrifice fly by Will Fincher, an RBI single by Caleb Johnson. Hernandez, who had five hits on Saturday night, had one of his four hits against JU on Sunday as an RBI single. Jax State would not score until the run in the ninth inning as JU's Bryce Fisher tossed 2.1 innings in relief to pick up the win.

Sunday's outcome spoiled one of the best outings on the mound for freshman Eli Zielinski. After being handed a four-run lead to work with, the Daphne, Alabama lefty established a new career high in strikeouts with 11 in 6.2 innings of work. Zielinski nursed the lead by allowing JU's first run in the fourth and the other run off Zielinski came in the seventh.

Senior Jarrett Eaton, inserted into the designated hitters spot on Sunday, took advantage of the opportunity with a pair of hits in the setback. He joined Maners and Hernandez with multiple hits in the contest.

The Gamecocks will host in-state rival Troy on Tuesday night before departing for Fort Meyers, Florida for next weekend's series with nationally-ranked Florida Gulf Coast. First pitch for the match up with the Trojans is set for 6 p.m. Tickets are available online at JSUGamecockSports.com and all Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free. The game will be streamed n ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.