FINAL STATS

WOODSTOCK, Ga. – The Jacksonville State softball team downed Akron and fell to host Georgia Tech to split on the first day of the Buzz Classic at the Twin Creek Softball Complex.

Back-to-back homers from seniors Amanda Crow and Sallie Beth Burch in the sixth inning broke a tie and lifted the Gamecocks (8-5) to a 4-1 win over the Zips (6-5) in the first game of the day, but early success by the Yellow Jackets (10-4) proved too much for JSU to overcome in a 4-3 loss in the day's finale.

In the opener, junior Kristin Graham went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI, but it was the back-to-back blasts from Crow and Burch that turned a 1-1 tie into a late JSU lead.

Sarah Earley got the Zips on the board first, doubling to left center to lead off the second and then scoring on the back end of a double steal attempt. The Gamecocks answered quickly, getting the run back in the top of the third, when Graham's two-out double drove in Kelci Johnston from second.

The two remained tied at 1-1 until the top of the sixth, when the Gamecocks used a little power to pull ahead. JSU got three runs on three hits in the frame, one sparked by back-to-back homers from seniors Amanda Crow and Sallie Beth Burch. Crow's two-run blast sailed just inside the foul pole in left, while Burch followed with a line-drive solo homer to straightaway center.

Freshman Savanna Hennings held the Zips to just one run on four hits in 3.1 innings in the circle before sophomore Hilary Phillips (3-0) came on to earn the win the relief. The Ider, Ala., native tossed 3.2 scoreless frames and surrendered just three hits in the process.

Alissa Birkhimer (1-1) was tagged with the loss for Akron after giving up four runs, three earned, on seven hits before being chased by the back-to-back home runs with one out in the sixth. Alex Riedema recorded the final five outs.

Earley led Akron at the plate with a 2-for-2 showing.

In the nightcap, Georgia Tech drew first blood in the home half of the second inning. The Jackets got solo home runs from Alysha Rudnik and Shannon Bear in the frame to jump out to a 2-0 lead. They went from power hitting to small ball to plate another run in the third, when cleanup hitter Kristine Priebe drove in Christy Jones on a squeeze bunt.

JSU finally got on the board in the fourth, after a two-out throwing error by Kristen Adkins extended the inning and set up an RBI single by Kelci Johnston that cut GT's lead to 3-1.

The Yellow Jackets got it back with another squeeze play in the home half of the inning, this time with Jones driving in pinch runner Kelly Delashmit.

Johnston cut the JSU deficit to 4-2 in the top of the sixth with a solo home run. The Northport, Ala., native's first homer of the season was a line drive that easily cleared the wall in the left centerfield gap.

The Gamecocks mounted a rally in the seventh, plating one on a Burch single to left. The Gamecocks' threat was stalled when a squeeze attempt failed and saw pinch runner Hilary Phillips thrown out at the plate and then ended when Johnston grounded out to third with the bases loaded.

Freshman Tiffany Harbin (4-3) had to work out of trouble for much of the game, allowing the leadoff batter on in each of the first four innings. The Hazel Green, Ala., native had her four-start winning streak snapped in allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings in the circle. She fanned eight Tech batters and walked three.

Adkins (5-2) earned the win for the Yellow Jackets after limiting JSU to three runs, two earned, on nine hits and six walks. The Gamecocks stranded 13 runners in the loss.

The Gamecocks are scheduled to play a pair of games on Saturday, beginning with a 10 a.m. game vs. UConn. Saturday's forecast calls for heavy rains in the Woodstock area, so stay tuned to www.jsugamecocksports.com for any weather updates involving the Buzz Classic schedule.