GAME ONE BOX SCORE  |  GAME TWO BOX SCORE

MARTIN, Tenn. – The Jacksonville State softball team earned a 9-1 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader at UT Martin on Friday to earn a split after a 3-1 loss to open the day.

The Gamecocks (34-12, 19-4 Ohio Valley Conference) got a complete game from senior Ashley Eliasson and rattled off 11 hits in the nightcap after struggling to get anything going against the Skyhawks (27-20, 14-9 OVC) in the opener.

In the finale of the twinbill, the Gamecocks jumped on the Skyhawks with four runs in the first inning and never looked back. They got an RBI single from senior Sallie Beth Burch to get things started and then followed with a pair of runs on a pair of UTM errors. Junior Abbey Stepp finished the scoring with a bases loaded walk that gave JSU the early 4-0 advantage.

Eliasson held the Skyhawk bats at bay, allowing one run on six hits and a walk in her first complete game of the season. The native of Vallejo, Calif., improved to 2-2 on the year after striking out two in six innings of work.

After UTM plated its lone run of the game in the hoe half of the third, the Gamecocks took control of the game in the top of the fourth, thanks to a two-run homer by senior Amanda Crow that sparked another four-run frame. The OVC-leading 14th home run of the year from the native of Sharpsburg, Ga., followed sophomore Krystal Ruth's second single of the game.

Junior Kaycee Crow and Burch followed the blast with back-to-back doubles, and then Burch scored on an RBI single to left off the bat of junior Kristin Graham. Burch capped the scoring and gave JSU its mercy-rule win in the sixth with an RBI single that plated Amanda Crow and capped a 3-for-4 game.

Chelsea Jones (14-9) suffered the loss for UTM after surrendering seven runs, six earned, on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work. Morgan Lewis tossed the final 2.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits and a pair of walks.

Leah Taylor went 2-for-3 in the loss for the Skyhawks and drove in the lone run on her third-inning solo home run.

In the opener, Amanda Brandenburg held the Gamecock bats at bay to lead her team to a 3-1 win. She limited the JSU offense to a run on just three hits in seven innings, while walking three and striking out nine.

UTM put a run on the board in each the second, third and fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead before JSU finally got a run on a Kaycee Crow solo homer in the sixth. Amanda Crow and freshman Hayden Crawford each singled to account for JSU's other hits.

Taylor went 2-for-4 to lead UTM at the plate.

Freshman Tiffany Harbin (21-6) suffered just her sixth loss of the season in a game that saw her surrender three runs on five hits in four innings in the circle. Eliasson tossed the final two frames and held UTM to just one hit in the process.

The two teams will play the rubber game of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.