JSU vs. ALBANY BOX SCORE
JSU vs. WINTHROP BOX SCORE

WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Sophomore Ashley Eliasson tossed the Jacksonville State softball team to a 4-0 win over Winthrop and a split in the opening day of the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic at the Twin Creeks Softball Complex on Friday evening.

Eliasson, a native of Vallejo, Calif., allowed just four hits and struck out nine in her seven-inning gem, allowing the Gamecocks (12-5) to bounce back from a disappointing 8-6 loss to Albany earlier in the day.

Sophomore Nikki Prier led the Gamecocks in the win over the Eagles by going 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI. Junior Chrissy O'Neal went 2-for-4 in the win, while freshman Meredith Sellers and junior Hillary Downs each drove in a run. Eliasson (3-3) threw 109 pitches in the win, 71 of which found the strike zone.

In the nightcap, junior Hillary Downs drove in freshman Allison Svoboda from second on a single up the middle that gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead in the home half of the second.

JSU doubled the lead to 2-0 in the fourth, when a two-out ground ball from Mary Beth Ledbetter rolled under shortstop Megan Chapman's glove, allowing Jackie Jarman, who doubled earlier in the inning, to score from second.

In the fifth, a leadoff walk from Courtney Underwood and back-to-back doubles from Nikki Prier and Meredith Sellers pushed the Gamecocks' lead to 4-0.

Taylor Wright (1-2) took the loss in the circle for the Eagles after allowing four runs, two earned, on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work. Megan Evans led the Eagles at the plate with a 2-for-3 showing.

In the first game of the day, the Gamecocks had eight batters scatter their nine hits, with senior Allie Barker going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run. Senior Jackie Jarman also drove in a pair in her 1-for-3 effort that was highlighted by a two-run triple.

The Great Danes got two RBI apiece from Kristine Bill, Michelle Connors and Meagan Butsch to lead their nine-hit attack.

The Gamecocks got a run in the first with a little small ball. Courtney Underwood walked and was pushed to third on a Barker single, setting up a sac fly from Nikki Prier that gave JSU the early 1-0 advantage. The Great Danes were able to answer in the home half of the first, however, on a Meagan Butsch RBI double that tied the game at 1-1.

Albany chased JSU starter Kelly McGregor in the second, when they put three more runs on the board to take a 5-1 lead. The Gamecocks cut the deficit to 5-3 in the third after Barker followed a two-out Courtney Underwood single with a two-run home run over the wall in right center.

Jax State reclaimed the lead in the fourth on a two-run Jarman triple and a single from Mary Beth Ledbetter that gave the Gamecocks a 6-5 lead. Albany had an answer again in the bottom of the frame, when the Great Danes plated three of their own to reclaim the lead, 8-6.

The Gamecocks would get a runner in scoring position with less than two outs in each of the next two innings, but they couldn't push another run across.

Marissa Powell (6-0), who had allowed just one run and 11 hits in her previous five starts this season, earned the win despite giving up six runs, five earned, on nine JSU hits. She struck out eight batters for her fifth complete game of the season.

Senior Melissa Dowling (4-1) suffered the loss for the Gamecocks after surrendering four runs, three earned, on seven hits in three innings of relief work. McGregor started the game and allowed four runs on two hits and three walks in just 1.1 innings in the circle. Senior Karla Pittman came in to pitch the final 1.2 innings for JSU and didn't allow a baserunner.

The Gamecocks will face host Georgia Tech at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday and will then take on Purdue at 6 p.m.