HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Interstat) — Nolan Freund and Blake Simpson each had three hits and two RBIs as Arkansas-Little Rock defeated Jacksonville State 8-6 on Saturday night in a playoff game at Pete Taylor Park.

The Trojans, who improved to 38-26, took control early with a three-run first inning and never trailed, though the Gamecocks mounted a late charge that fell short. Jacksonville State, the higher seed at 47-14, saw its season end despite a 14-hit attack by Arkansas-Little Rock.

Isaac Evaniew earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out four without allowing a hit. Tag Andrews earned a hold by working 1⅔ innings, also scoreless with one strikeout. Brigden Parker started for the Trojans and allowed two runs, one earned, over three innings, striking out one.

Arkansas-Little Rock batted around in the top of the first. Kade Smith singled and scored on Simpson’s single to right. Freund scored on Nico Baumbach’s single through the left side. Simpson later scored on Ty Rhoades’ groundout to first, giving the Trojans a 3-0 lead.

Freund’s RBI double in the second inning scored Jerdy Lopez, who had singled and stolen second, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Jacksonville State answered in the bottom of the second. Brady Thomas led off with a solo home run, his 11th of the season. Two batters later, Matthew Cash doubled to left center, scoring Cooper Blauser, who had reached on an error, to cut the deficit to 4-2.

After a quiet third and fourth innings, Thomas struck again in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double that scored Grayson Ashe, pulling the Gamecocks within 4-3.

Arkansas-Little Rock responded in the top of the sixth. Cooper Chaplain doubled and scored on Freund’s groundout. Lopez then scored on Simpson’s triple to left, extending the lead to 6-3.

The Trojans added two more in the top of the eighth. Smith doubled, Freund singled, and both scored on Baumbach’s two-run double down the left field line, making it 8-3.

Jacksonville State refused to fold. In the bottom of the seventh, Luke Williams walked, stole second and scored on Trey King’s single to right, cutting the lead to 8-4.

The Gamecocks struck again in the bottom of the eighth. Sam Richardson singled, advanced on a double by Blauser, and scored on Cash’s single to short. Blauser then scored on Jaxon Pate’s sacrifice fly to center, narrowing the gap to 8-6.

Arkansas-Little Rock’s bullpen held. Andrews entered with two outs in the eighth and retired the side. In the ninth, after a one-out walk, Andrews induced a fielder’s choice and a flyout to end the game.

Freund finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Simpson was 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Baumbach drove in three runs on a 2-for-5 night. For Jacksonville State, Thomas went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Cash also had two hits and two RBIs.

The most critical sequence of the game occurred in the top of the eighth. With the Trojans clinging to a 6-3 lead, Smith and Freund reached base against reliever Maddox McDougall. Baumbach then doubled to left, clearing the bases and giving Arkansas-Little Rock a five-run cushion that proved necessary when Jacksonville State scored twice in the bottom of the inning. The insurance runs allowed the Trojans to withstand the Gamecocks’ final push.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Jacksonville State 7, Arkansas-Little Rock 6, and the site’s ELO system had given the Gamecocks a 68.10 percent probability to win.