GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Jacksonville State softball team used a pair of last-inning rallies to claim an exhausting doubleheader sweep of Chattanooga on Tuesday night at Jim Frost Stadium.

The Gamecocks (19-9) got two runs in the eighth inning to pull of an 11-9 extra-inning win in the opener and plated two in the seventh of a come-from-behind 5-4 win in the nightcap to win their fourth straight over the defending Southern Conference Mocs (14-14).

The Gamecocks hit .354 as a team in the twinbill and had seven players record at least three hits. Seniors Jackie Jarman and Allie Barker and junior Chrissy O'Neal each drove in three runs on the day, while the JSU lineup combined for 13 extra base hits.

Sophomore Ashley Eliasson earned the win in each game, taking the first game after a relief appearance and claiming the win in the nightcap after getting the starting nod.

In a crazy first game, 17 of the 18 position starters recorded at least one hit and the two combined to score at least one run in all but five of the 16 half innings. Before JSU finished off the 11-9 extra-innings win, the two teams had combined for 13 extra base hits and stranded a total of 22 runners on base.

Barker went 3-for-5 with a double to lead a group of six JSU players with multiple hits. O'Neal and Jarman each homered and doubled to drive in two runs apiece in the win.

UTC had five players record two hits in the loss, led by Michelle Fuzzard, who went 2-for-4 with a home run.

The Gamecocks rallied in the top of the second and jumped out to a 3-0 lead, thanks to a two-run home run from Jarman, her first of the year, and a wild pitch that allowed junior Mary Beth Ledbetter to score from third.

The Mocs got a run in the home half on a single from Lauren Flores that scored Brittany Eason from third. Eason's run followed her leadoff double and was the first earned run scored on JSU starter Karla Pittman since March 7, snapping a streak of 25.2 innings by the North Canton, Ohio, native.

JSU got back-to-back solo home runs from juniors Hillary Downs and O'Neal in the top of the fourth to chase UTC starter Brooke Loudermilk and take a 5-1 lead.

The Mocs were able to get a solo shot of their own in the bottom of the fourth thanks to Jenni Martin's shot down the left field line. They got one more on Kaiti Kelley's RBI single to center, cutting the JSU advantage to 5-3. The Gamecocks got the run back and pushed their lead to 6-3 in the fifth, when junior Nikki Prier doubled and scored on a two-bagger from freshman Allison Svoboda.

UTC sent all nine batters to the plate in the home half of the fifth and scored three runs on five hits to tie the game at 6-6. The Gamecocks reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth on a Prier single to right that plated O'Neal from second, only to watch UTC answer to tie it again in the home half of the inning.

The Gamecocks were able to get two in the seventh to take their third lead of the game, thanks to a throwing error from UTC shortstop Jessica Traxler that allowed Jarman to score and an RBI double from O'Neal that drove in Ledbetter.

UTC answered yet again with a pair in the seventh to force extra innings, but an RBI double from Allie Barker, who later scored on a triple from Courtney Underwood, gave the Gamecocks a lead they would finally hold on to.

Sophomore Ashley Eliasson (6-4) was credited with the win for the Gamecocks after pitching the final two innings and allowing just one unearned run on one hit. Pittman pitched the first four innings and re-entered to throw an inning in relief, allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits along the way. Senior Melissa Dowling tossed one inning and gave up four runs on six hits in the process.

Kandice Irwin (5-8) suffered the loss for UTC after surrendering four runs on five hits in two innings of relief work. Laoudermilk gave up the first five runs on six hits before giving way to Kaity Holloway, who surrendered two runs on four hits.

The nightcap started much differently, as both starters held their opponents scoreless through the first three innings. The Gamecocks finally dented the scoreboard in the top of the fourth, when Jarman laced a Fuzzard pitch to center and drove in Prier, who led off the inning with a single, from second.

While Eliasson held the Mocs' bats in check, the JSU offense continued to work. The Gamecocks stretched their lead to 3-0 in the fifth, thanks to an O'Neal triple that scored Downs after her leadoff single and a Barker groundout that allowed O'Neal to score from third.

Eliasson held the Mocs to just two hits through the first five innings, but UTC got to the JSU starter in the sixth. The Mocs used back-to-back home runs from Fuzzard and Tiffany Baker to tie the game at 3-3 and then got back-to-back doubles from Jenni Martin and Jessica Traxler to take a 4-3 advantage.

Ledbetter didn't allow the Mocs to hold their first lead of the day for long. The Southside, Ala., native jumped on the first pitch of the ensuing inning and drove over the wall in right field to tie the game at 4-4. The Gamecocks reclaimed the lead three batters later, when Barker doubled down the left field line, scoring O'Neal from second and setting the stage for senior Kayla Collins.

Collins entered the circle for seventh and, after watching the leadoff batter reach on an error, struck out the next two batters and got a fly ball to center to close the book on the Macs and earn her second save of the season. Eliasson (7-4) earned her second win of the day after allowing four runs on six hits in six innings of work.

Fuzzard took the loss after going the distance and surrendering five runs on eight hits along the way.

The Gamecocks will return to Ohio Valley Conference play on Saturday, when trhey open a three-game series at UT Martin with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.