GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State softball team opened the day with an 8-0 mercy-rule win over Morehead State before falling 3-2 in the nightcap of a doubleheader split at University Field.

The Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion Gamecocks (37-11, 18-2 OVC) used a five-run fifth inning to put away the second-place Eagles (34-17, 15-8 OVC). MSU answered in the final game to hand JSU its first loss at University Field to a league foe since April 19, 2008, snapping a streak of 14 games.

In the opener, freshman Meredith Sellers jumped on MSU starter Sarah Funston with a three-run home run in the first. The Columbiana, Ala., native hit Funston's two-out pitch off of the Gamecocks' new scoreboard in left center and JSU never looked back. The blast was Sellers' sixth of the season and followed a double by junior Chrissy O'Neal and a walk by senior Courtney Underwood.

O'Neal, a native of Dallas, Ga., was 4-for-6 on the day, including a 3-for-3 effort in the opening game. Her double in the first inning was followed by singles in the third and fifth.

The fifth would be the next time either team would put a run on the scoreboard, and the Gamecocks plated five to end the game via the mercy rule. Junior Hillary Downs led off the inning with a solo homer to left center, and O'Neal followed with a single that set up a two-run blast by junior Nikki Prier, her team-best 11th of the year. Freshman Allison Svoboda doubled in Underwood later in the inning and junior Mary Beth Ledbetter drew a bases-loaded walk to end the game with just one out in the inning.

Senior Karla Pittman (15-1) continued her mastery of OVC hitting for the Gamecocks with five innings of two-hit softball that saw her strike out two and walk just one. The North Canton, Ohio, native is now 10-0 with a 0.47 ERA in 11 appearances in league play.

Funston (8-6) took the loss after allowing four runs on four hits in four innings of work. Ashley Boyd recorded the only out in the fifth, and gave up four runs on three hits and four walks in the process.

In the nightcap, the Gamecocks struck early on an Underwood double in the first that scored O'Neal and gave JSU a 1-0 lead. Neither team mounted a threat until the fourth, when an errant throw to first from JSU pitcher Ashley Eliasson allowed Sam Woodall to score from second. Kayla Brill followed with an RBI single to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage, their first of the series.

They added another in the fifth on a solo home run from Janelle Givens, the first of her career, giving MUS a 3-1 lead. Underwood homered in the sixth to cut the deficit to 3-2, but the Gamecocks left the tying run at second in the seventh.

Eliasson (14-6) suffered the tough-luck loss after giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits in a nine-strikeout complete game. Alex Gjevre (24-8) was credited with the win after holding the JSU offense to two runs on six hits in seven innings in the circle.

The two teams will conclude the three-game series on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m. it will be the final regular season home game for the Gamecocks, and JSU will honor the team's six seniors in a ceremony before the game. Admission is free for all fans.