FINAL STATS

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A first-inning home run from junior Kristin Graham was all the Jacksonville State softball team needed on Sunday, when Tiffany Harbin and Ashley Eliasson teamed up to shut down Jacksonville in a 5-0 win to close the JU Invitational.

Harbin, a freshman from Hazel Green, Ala., pitched into the sixth inning and held the Dolphins (6-4) to just five hits in the process before Eliasson came in and struck out three of the final six outs to close the door. The Gamecocks (6-4) got three first-inning runs on the homer from Graham, a Warner, Robins, Ga., native, and never looked back in gaining revenge for a Friday loss to host JU.

Harbin (3-2) finished off what was an impressive weekend at the JSU Invitational on Sunday with her third win in as many starts. She capped the three-day event with a 3-0 record, an 0.37 earned run average and 17 strikeouts in 19 innings in the circle.

Eliasson, a senior from Vallejo, Calif., entered the game in relief in the sixth with two on and no outs before retiring the side to get out of trouble. She allowed one hit and fanned three in her two innings of work.

Freshman Tyris Branford went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a run for the Gamecocks, while junior Abbey Stepp and senior Sallie Beth Burch also recorded a pair of hits. Stepp tripled to lead off the fifth and scored on Burch's double in the ensuing at bat. Sophomore Tess Echols singled and scored a run.

The Dolphins' Sarah Sigrest started the game in the circle but was chased after three innings that saw her allow three runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks. Brittney Eppley toseed one inning and surrendered two runs, one earned, on four hits.

JU was led at the plate by Kayla Ouellet's 2-for-4 afternoon.

The Gamecocks will now have more than a week off before their next game, a March 1 matchup at Kennesaw State in Kennesaw, Ga.