Gamecocks Sweep OVC Twinbill at Tennessee Tech - Jacksonville State University Athletics

Wednesday, March 21

Cookville, Tenn.

2 p.m.

Jax State

Tennessee Tech

Game One Box Score Game Two Box Score

Kelci Johnston notched two hits in each game on Wednesday

3/21/2012 6:50:00 PM | Softball

GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Jacksonville State softball team used another gem from Tiffany Harbin and a grand slam from Kaycee Crow to sweep an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Tennessee Tech on Wednesday.

Harbin, a sophomore from Hazel Green, Ala., tossed a four-hit shutout to lead the Gamecocks (12-15, 7-1 OVC) to a 6-0 win over the Golden Eagles (9-17, 3-5 OVC) in the opener. Crow, a senior from Ringgold, Ga., belted a fifth-inning grand slam to pace a 5-1 JSU win in the nightcap. Junior Kelci Johnston went 5-for-8 and scored three runs in the two games.

In the first game, Harbin (5-2) picked up where she left off on Sunday, when she no-hit Murray State in that series finale. She retired the first 10 batters she faced in the opener before an infield single from Melody Christian snapped Harbin's streak of 12.0 consecutive hitless frames. The Hazel Green, Ala., native struck out seven and walked one in her third complete-game shutout of the year.

JSU got one in the top of the first on an infield single by Graham and then opened up a 3-0 lead in the third on Graham's two-run homer. The blast to left center was her third homer in the last five games and gave Harbin plenty of a cushion.

Freshman Sara Borders stretched that lead to five runs in the fourth with a two-out triple down the line in right that drove in junior Kelci Johnston and sophomore Tyris Branford. Freshman Shelby Holley capped the scoring in the top of the seventh, when the Pisgah, Ala., native went opposite field for her 12th home run of the year. The roundtripper ties her with UTEP's Chelsea Troupe for fourth nationally.

Claudia Harkins (1-4) suffered the loss for the Golden Eagles, allowing five runs on seven hits in four innings of work. Taylor Ketchum surrendered the final run on two hits in three innings of relief.

In the final game of the day, The Gamecocks took advantage of a Tech miscue to grab a run in the second and then held on until Crow opened it up with her fifth-inning swing. An error on Krystal Ruth's leadoff grounder and a single through the left side from Kelci Johnston set up a passed ball that staked the Gamecocks to the early lead.

This time it was senior Sam Snow (4-4) that would hold the Golden Eagle bats in check. The native of Ranburne, Ala., held TTU scoreless over the first six innings before allowing a run in the sixth. Harbin came in to get out of a one-out jam in the seventh to seal the sweep and JSU's eighth win in the last nine games.

Crow capped a two-out JSU rally in the fifth, one that saw singles from Johnston and Hayden Crawford come after the first two batters were retired. Pinch hitter Katie Matchen then drew a walk to set up Crow's blast to left field.

Johnston led JSU's eight-hit attack with a 3-for-4 game that saw her score twice. Freshman Savannah Sloan went 2-for-3, while Crow and Holley notched JSU's other two hits. Graham went 0-for-1 but drew two walks in the finale.

Holly Thomas (6-8) was tagged with the loss after surrendering five runs, four earned, on six hits in 5.2 innings in the circle for TTU. She struck out four and walked six.

The Gamecocks will return home this weekend for a three-game OVC series with Eastern Kentucky. The set starts with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday and will conclude with a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday. Admission is free to all JSU home games.