JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (Interstat) — Kennesaw State defeated Jacksonville State 5-2 on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Rudy Abbott Field in a Conference USA contest that featured a dominant starting performance from the Owls’ Nolan Sliver and a late-inning rally fueled by Jacksonville State miscues.

Sliver, the top star for Kennesaw State, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing no hits and two earned runs while striking out two. He exited after the Gamecocks tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, but the Owls’ bullpen combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings to preserve the victory.

Kennesaw State struck first in the top of the fifth when Williams singled up the middle and scored on a dropped fly ball by Jacksonville State’s center fielder, an error that allowed the Owls to take a 1-0 lead. The Gamecocks responded in the bottom of the sixth. Caleb Johnson doubled to left field and Trey King tripled to right center, driving in Johnson. King then scored on a sacrifice bunt by G. Ashe to give Jacksonville State a 2-1 lead.

Kennesaw State reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth. Jones walked, advanced on a single by McDuffie and scored on a single by Chris Cole that also moved McDuffie to third. Cole’s hit gave the Owls a 3-2 advantage. The Owls added two more runs in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch and a two-run single by Gibbs, both coming after another dropped fly ball by the Gamecocks’ center fielder.

Jacksonville State’s Eli Pillsbury was the hard-luck loser despite a stellar outing. He pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out 12. He left after the Owls’ eighth-inning rally. Jackson Sleeper and C. Horst combined for 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowing four runs, two unearned.

Kennesaw State’s bullpen was nearly untouchable. Daniel Powell threw two perfect innings, striking out four. Ty Bayer tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings, and Peter Jezerinac recorded one out before giving way to Bayer. The quartet held Jacksonville State hitless after the sixth inning.

The Gamecocks mounted a threat in the eighth when Johnson walked and stole second, but Powell struck out King and Ashe flied out to end the inning. In the ninth, M. Cash singled but was left stranded as Majette and Williams struck out.

Kennesaw State improved to 24-22 overall, while Jacksonville State fell to 38-11.

The most important part of the game was the bottom of the sixth, when Jacksonville State scored both of its runs to take a 2-1 lead. Sliver had been cruising, retiring the first 15 batters he faced before Johnson’s double. King’s triple followed, and suddenly the Gamecocks had momentum. But Kennesaw State’s bullpen stifled any further offense, and the Owls’ defense, despite two errors, did enough to support a late comeback.

Sliver’s previous outings included a win against Sam Houston State on May 2 in which he allowed three earned runs over seven innings, and a loss at Western Kentucky on April 25 in which he gave up four earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. On Friday, he threw 69 pitches before being lifted.

Jacksonville State had won three of its last four games coming in, while Kennesaw State had won two of three. The two teams meet again Saturday and Sunday, then Kennesaw State returns home for a series against Missouri State, while Jacksonville State hosts Auburn before traveling to Dallas Baptist.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Jacksonville State 7, Kennesaw State 6. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Jacksonville State with a 57.70 percent probability to win.