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TUSCALOOSA – A seven-run third inning and a stellar pitching performance from Kelsi Dunne spoiled the Jacksonville State softball team's NCAA Super Regional debut on Friday, when Alabama took the series led with a 9-0 win at the Alabama Softball Complex.

The Gamecocks (43-15), who advanced to the Tuscaloosa Super Regional after winning last week's Knoxville Regional, failed to record a hit against Dunne in the game, which was shortened to five innings by the run rule. Dunne walked one and hit a batter while striking out seven to lead the Crimson Tide (51-9) within one win of their sixth College World Series appearance since 2000.

The Gamecocks are one loss away from elimination once again, a spot they were in after dropping the first game of last week's regional to Nebraska. They will have to upend the No. 4 national seed Crimson Tide twice on Saturday, beginning with game two of the series at 11 a.m. CT. Every pitch of Saturday's action will be televised live on ESPN.

“Obviously we are disappointed in the loss, but the most disappointing thing is that we came out and did something that I didn't think that we would do,” JSU head coach Jana McGinnis said. “We came out scared and back on our heels. We were passive and it totally took us out of our game, and that's the disappointing part.

“I'm so proud of our team and I'm still proud of our team and everything they've accomplished. The main thing I want is for these girls to come out and play their game and do what they've done all year to get us here. Alabama is a good team, and there is no room for error, and especially no room to be passive. They will eat you up and they did today.”

JSU senior Karla Pittman, the Ohio Valley Conference's Pitcher of the Year, suffered the loss for the Gamecocks after surrendering nine runs, seven earned, on nine hits in 3.2 innings of work. She falls to 17-4 on the year, while Dunne improves to 26-3 for Alabama.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third, when Kelley Montalvo laced a one-out single to left that drove in Brittany Rogers and Lauren Parker and got the Tide's big inning started. An error by JSU first baseman Nikki Prier allowed the next run to score and was followed by a two-run double from Amanda Locke and a two-run triple from Kellie Eubanks that gave Alabama a 7-0 lead after three.

While the Gamecocks struggles continued at the plate, the Crimson Tide scored twice more in the fourth, thanks to an RBI double from Cassandra Reilly-Boccia and a run scoring single from Ashley Holcombe.

Montalvo ended the game with two of the Crimson Tide's nine hits, with the other seven being scattered by seven other players. Montalvo was one of four UA players to drive in two runs in the game.