NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jacksonville State dropped the final weekend series of the season after Lipscomb tallied a walk off, 6-5, win on Friday at Ken Dugan Field.

After one down in the inning, LU's leadoff hitter Caleb Katchup belted the second pitch he saw from Trey Fortner in the ninth over the left field wall to secure the weekend series and claim a share of the ASUN regular season crown. The Gamecocks will try to salvage the final game of the series on Saturday in the regular season finale. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Gamecock Sports Network.

Jax State trailed early with the Bisons manufacturing a run in the third inning after a double and an RBI single off of Jax State starter Tanner Jones. With postseason on the horizon, Jones went 2.1 innings and 39 pitches in the short stint on the mound. The Gamecocks broke through for a big inning after being held scoreless for 12 straight innings after the lone run on Thursday came in the first inning.

The Gamecocks took advantage of an infield single from freshman Bear Madliak and an errant throw for the first run of the four-run fifth inning. Madliak scored on a productive out from junior Javon Hernandez. Junior Mason Maners, who finished with his second multi-hit game of the weekend, singled followed by a walk by senior T.J. Reeves. Junior Derrick Jackson, Jr. delivered the go-ahead RBI with a single before senior Carson Crowe came through with a two-out, two-RBI single to plate two more runs.

LU erased the three-run deficit with a four-run frame in the sixth as Jake Berg recorded a one-out RBI double to give the Purple and Gold the lead again.

The one-run advantage by the Bisons was short-lived with sophomore Brennen Norton smashing his fifth home run of the season to square it up. Norton finished with a pair of hits and combined for four in two games against LU pitching. JSU put the go-ahead run in its half of the final frame with a leadoff infield single by Hernandez. The base hit was his 83rd of the season. LU left Hernandez stranded at third base. After stranding nine on the bases on Thursday, JSU matched that again on Friday.

For the second consecutive night, Jax State has out-hit the Bisons as it posted 11 on the night. Madliak, Maners, Norton and senior Jarrett Eaton all had two hits each in the setback. Maners has put together five hits against LU in the first two games of the season.