JSU vs UL BOX SCORE
JSU vs URI BOX SCORE

TAMPA, Fla. – Senior Melissa Dowling tossed a two-hit shutout against Rhode Isalnd on Saturday afternoon, helping the JSU softball team to a 3-0 win and a split on the second day of the University of South Florida The Game Tournament. The Gamecocks fell, 6-0, to No. 23 Louisville in the first game of the day.

Dowling, a native of Bradenton, Fla., which is less than 60 miles from Tampa, faced just 23 batters in her second complete game in three starts. She struck out six batters and walked two while allowing the Rams (0-2) to get a pair of singles in the win for the Gamecocks (7-3). She improves to 3-0 on the year.

In the win over Rhode Island, nine JSU players scattered nine hits, led by senior Allie Barker's 2-for-4 effort. The Gadsden, Ala., native singled in a run in the first and hit a solo home run in the fifth to account for her team-high two RBI. She now has 25 career home runs, moving her into a tie for fourth on the school's career list.

Junior Nikki Prier also went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored in the win. Freshman Kaycee Crow drove in the Gamecocks' other run on an RBI single in the fifth.

URI's Odalys Torres (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing all three JSU runs on six hits in just over four innings in the circle. She walked two and failed to strikeout a batter. Darci Borden and Courtney Prendergastt each singled once to account for the Rams' offense.

In the first game of the day, the Gamecocks took the 23rd ranked Cardinals into a scoreless fifth inning, but Louisville took advantage of a JSU error to jump out to a 4-0 lead on three unearned runs. They would add two more in the sixth to seal the Gamecocks' third loss of the year, all of which have come against teams that are either in or receiving votes for the Top 25 Polls.

JSU was able to muster just three hits off of Cardinals (12-1) starter Kristin Wadwell. She walked five and struck out six batters in seven shutout innings to improve her record to 8-1 on the year.

Junior Hillary Downs was 2-for-3 to lead the Gamecocks' offense, while Crow was 1-for-2.

Sophomore Ashley Eliasson (1-2) took the loss in the circle for the Gamecocks after the Vallejo, Calif., native surrendered four runs, one earned, on six hits in five innings in the circle. Senior Karla Pittman allowed a pair of runs on two hits in one inning of relief work.

The Gamecocks will wrap up the tournament on Sunday, when they take defending A-10 Champion Albany at 10 a.m. before facing host South Florida at 12:30 p.m. CT.