FINAL STATS

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – A late surge by SIU-Edwardsville did the Jacksonville State softball team in on Sunday, when the Cougars handed the Gamecocks a 9-4 defeat and won the Ohio Valley Conference series at Cougar Field.

The Gamecocks (25-10, 11-3 OVC) led by two runs in the middle of the third and held a one-run lead as late as the fifth, but the Cougars (15-20, 7-6 OVC) mounted a rally. They scored six of their nine runs and put together seven of their 10 hits in the final two innings to surge past JSU and hand the Gamecocks their first OVC series loss of the season.

Sophomore Krystal Ruth got the Gamecocks on the board first with a two-run single in the second, but a two-run home run by Kasey Schlafke tied things up in the home half of the frame. JSU answered with some power of its own in the top of the third, thanks to a pair of solo home runs by seniors Amanda Crow and Sallie Beth Burch that gave the Gamecocks a 4-2 lead.

The Cougars got one back in the third and remained a run down until the fifth, when they erupted for five runs on five hits. They tacked one more on in the sixth to give them the deciding advantage.

Freshman Tiffany Harbin (14-5) was tagged with her first loss since March 6 after surrendering five runs on five hits in four innings in the circle. The Hazel Green, Ala., native struck out seven and walked two but had her streak of winning 10 straight decisions snapped. Sophomore Hilary Phillips pitched the final two innings but allowed four runs on five hits in the process.

Erika Taylor (11-10) earned the win after tossing the complete game for SIUE. She gave up four runs on six hits in her seven innings of work that also saw her strike out four and walk one.

Schlafke drove in four for the Cougars in a 2-for-3 game at the plate.

The Gamecocks will be at home on Monday, when they host UTEP in a single game at 5 p.m. at University Field. Admission is free to all JSU home games.