JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (Interstat) — Trey Majette’s sacrifice fly to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning scored B. Thomas from third base, lifting Jacksonville State to a 4-3 victory over Kennesaw State on Sunday afternoon at Rudy Abbott Field.

The Gamecocks improved to 40-11 overall, while the Owls fell to 24-24.

Jacksonville State trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth before rallying. After Kennesaw State starter Ryan Gold worked four hitless innings and Ty Bayer added two scoreless frames, the Gamecocks broke through against reliever Daniel Powell. Pinch hitter Majette singled up the middle off Powell to open the inning, and M. Cash followed with a single to left, putting runners at the corners. L. Williams then dropped a sacrifice bunt that scored Majette and cut the deficit to 3-2. J. Pate bunted for a single to load the bases. After C. Johnson struck out, T. King grounded out to second base, driving in M. Cash to tie the game at 3. G. Ashe flied out to end the inning.

The Owls had taken the lead on an unearned run in the top of the seventh. Charlie Jones walked, advanced on a single by Chirello, and later scored on a throwing error by the Jacksonville State shortstop after Posey grounded into a double play. But the Gamecocks answered quickly.

In the top of the ninth, Kennesaw State appeared poised to seize control. With one out, Williams reached on a fielding error by shortstop C. Johnson. Jones doubled to right-center, scoring Williams and giving the Owls a 3-1 lead. Brooks, pinch-running for Jones, scored on a single by Posey that made it 4-1. But the Gamecocks escaped further damage when McDuffie grounded out to third.

Jacksonville State’s winning rally began in the bottom of the ninth against Kennesaw State’s Powell, who had just surrendered three runs in the eighth. Thomas led off with a double to right-center. C. Blauser sacrificed him to third. Majette, who had already driven in a run earlier, lifted a fly ball to right field that was caught by Lyons, but Thomas tagged and scored easily, ending the game.

The pivotal sequence came in the bottom of the eighth, when Jacksonville State erased a two-run deficit and set the stage for the ninth-inning heroics. The Gamecocks used three straight bunts — two sacrifice hits and a bunt single — to tie the game, then capitalized on a go-ahead double and a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Jacksonville State starter Steven Cash was the top performer. Cash allowed two hits over six and one-third innings, striking out five and yielding no earned runs. He threw 78 pitches and departed with a 1-0 lead after Kennesaw State’s lone run in the seventh was unearned. Gold tossed four scoreless innings for the Owls, striking out two without allowing a hit.

The Gamecocks outhit Kennesaw State 9-4 and executed five sacrifice hits — a key factor in their comeback. Majette finished 1-for-1 with a single and the game-winning RBI. Charlie Jones went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBIs for the Owls.

Jacksonville State won the weekend series two games to one after dropping the opener Friday 5-2 and winning Saturday 5-4. The Gamecocks host Auburn on Tuesday before a three-game series at Dallas Baptist. Kennesaw State returns home to face Missouri State in a three-game set beginning Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Jacksonville State 7, Kennesaw State 6. Its ELO system gave the Gamecocks a 57.10 percent probability to win.