JACKSONVILLE – Troy took advantage of its opportunities given by Jacksonville State with two big innings in an 11-1 win over the Gamecocks on Tuesday night at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.

The Trojans (26-12) plated three runs on two hits in the third inning that was aided by three uncharacteristic miscues by the Gamecocks (17-18) in the inning. Troy extended a 3-1 lead with an eight-run six inning that was left open with a misplayed fly ball in the outfield to clear the bases.

Troy's pitching trio of Kristian Asbury, Matt Mercer, and Brandon Schrepf were able to hold the Gamecocks in check with a combined 14 strikeouts and three hits allowed, which was a season-low for Jax State. Asbury picked up the win to move to 3-1 on the season.

Jax State's offense came on a leadoff home run by senior T.J. Reeves to start the fourth inning. It was Reeves seventh home run of the season and with his dinger, he has reached base in all 35 games this season. Freshman Caleb Johnson posted JSU's first hit of the night with a single in the third. Junior Derrick Jackson, Jr. followed Reeves' blast with a double, but Troy was able to keep it a two-run contest.

Senior Colin Casey made his first start on the mound since May, 2021 after returning from an arm injury that sidelined him all of the 2022 season. The Jacksonville, Alabama native tossed the first two innings with out allowing a hit or run. He finished with a strikeout and a pair of walks. Senior Garrett Wade made his Gamecock debut following Casey. The Auburn transfer went 1.2 innings and was tagged with the loss after the three-run third inning for Troy.

The Gamecocks will depart for Fort Meyers, Florida on Thursday to face Florida Gulf Coast in a key conference series that begins on Friday. The opening game of the series is set for 5:30 p.m. CST, followed by a 1 p.m. CST match up on Saturday. The weekend wraps up on Sunday with a 12 p.m. CST contest. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.