BOX SCORE

CHARLESTON, Ill. - A two-run homer by Chrissy O'Neal in the fifth was all sophomore Ashley Eliasson needed on Sunday, when she and the Jacksonville State softball team blanked Eastern Illinois, 2-0, sweeping the series.

Eliasson and the Gamecocks (35-9, 17-1 Ohio Valley Conference) held the Panthers (24-24, 8-11 OVC) to two hits to close a three-game series that saw JSU take both games on Saturday to clinch its third OVC Championship in the last five seasons. The Gamecocks also ended the weekend with the nation's longest winning streak, which now stands at a school-record 18 games.

Eliasson (14-4), a sophomore from Vallejo, Calif., struck out four batters and walked two en route to tossing her 11th complete game and sixth shutout of the season. She lowered her ERA to 1.57 on the year and an impressive 0.75 in conference play.

O'Neal, a junior from Dallas, Ga., went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run, which followed a one-out triple from junior Hillary Downs in the fifth and accounted for all of the Gamecocks' offensive production. O'Neal and freshman Meredith Sellers each recorded a pair of hits, while Downs and juniors Nikki Prier and Mary Beth Ledbetter each had one hit in the win.

The Panthers' Amber May (17-15) suffered the loss in the circle after allowing two runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. She struck out nine batters and walked one in the losing effort. Kiley Holtz and Megan Nelson each went 1-for-3 at the plate to account for all of EIU's offense.

The Gamecocks will return to action on Tuesday, when they travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Middle Tennessee.