KENNESAW, Ga. (Interstat) — Steven Cash pitched five innings of no-hit ball and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks broke open a close game with five runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 9-3 on Thursday afternoon in a Conference USA game at Fred Stillwell Stadium.

Cash, who entered with a win over Dallas Baptist and a victory against Kennesaw State in his previous two starts, struck out eight while allowing three earned runs — all coming on two home runs in the fourth inning — and walked two. The right-hander did not surrender a hit, though the Blue Raiders scored their three runs on a solo homer by Brett Vondohlen in the third inning and a two-run blast by Cooper Clapp in the fourth.

Jacksonville State, now 43-13, took an early lead in the first inning. Jaxon Pate singled, moved to third on a walk and scored on Brady Thomas’ fielder’s choice. The Gamecocks added an unearned run in the fourth when Grayson Ashe, who reached on a hit-by-pitch and advanced on an error, scored on a sacrifice fly by Cooper Blauser.

Middle Tennessee, dropping to 26-31, answered in the bottom of the third when Vondohlen homered to right field, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Clapp’s two-run homer in the fourth gave the Blue Raiders a 3-2 lead.

The Gamecocks regained the lead in the sixth. Brady Thomas doubled and scored on a single by Trey King. King then scored on a double by Blauser, making it 4-3. Jacksonville State’s bullpen held Middle Tennessee scoreless over the final four innings. Josh Sibley, Jackson Sleeper and Chase Horst combined for 3 1/3 hitless innings, with Horst recording the final out of the eighth and working a perfect ninth to close the game.

Jacksonville State broke the game open in the ninth. Luke Williams led off with a solo home run to right field, tying the game at 4-4. After a single by Pate and a hit-by-pitch, Grayson Ashe singled to drive in a run, giving the Gamecocks a 5-4 lead. Brady Thomas followed with a double to bring in two more runs, and Trey King doubled to score Thomas, capping the five-run inning.

The Gamecocks finished with 13 hits, including two each from Blauser, King and Thomas. Clapp led Middle Tennessee with a 3-for-4 day, including the two-run homer and a single. Chandler Alderman took the loss for the Blue Raiders, allowing three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings.

The game featured three double plays turned by Middle Tennessee, but the Blue Raiders could not overcome Jacksonville State’s depth. The Gamecocks have now won five of their last six games and swept the season series against Middle Tennessee, having taken three games in April by scores of 3-1, 7-6 and 6-5.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Jacksonville State 6, Middle Tennessee 4, and its ELO system gave the Gamecocks a 70.60 percent probability to win.