Gamecocks Take Down Wright State, Northern Iowa on Friday

Friday, March 1

Fayetteville, Ark.

10 a.m.

Jacksonville State University

8-8

Wright State

2-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Wright State	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	3	4	2
Jacksonville State	0	0	0	0	0	4	X	4	2	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Jacksonville State	3	3	0	3	0	9	8	0
UNI	0	0	0	0	1	1	5	3

3/1/2013 5:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Jacksonville State softball team opened the Woo Pig Classic with a pair of wins on Friday, when the Gamecocks rallied for a 4-3 win over Wright State before rolling to a 9-1 mercy-rule win over Northern Iowa.

In the first game, Wright State starter Montana Wear held the Gamecocks (9-8) hitless through five innings, but JSU rallied to score four in the sixth to erase a 3-0 deficit and grab the one-run win.

Jax State jumped on the Panthers in the finale, plating three runs in the first and three more in the second and never looking back before ending the game in the fifth.

Junior Kalee Tabor and sophomore Savannah Sloan belted back-to-back home runs in the first inning against UNI starter Abbie VanVleet. Tabor's two-run shot was her team-leading sixth of the season, while Sloan's solo blast was the first of the year for the Reynolds, Ga., native.

The second inning gave the Gamecocks a six-run cushion, thanks to a pair of Panther errors. JSU had just one hit in the three-run frame, an infield single from senior Kelci Johnston that plated the final run of the inning.

They got another three-run inning in the fourth, one that saw Johnston, freshman Cadi Oliver and junior Amanda Martinez notch back-to-back-to-back doubles to give the Gamecocks a 9-0 advantage.

UNI got one run in the fifth on a leadoff homer from Nicole Fisher, but it would be all it could muster before being put away via the mercy rule.

Freshman Casey Akenberger (2-5) went the distance for JSU to earn the win. The Bowling Green, Ohio, native allowed a run on just five hits in her five innings of work. She struck out four and walked a pair.

VanVleet (1-3) was tagged with the loss after surrendering nine runs, only three earned, on eight hits and six walks in four innings in the circle for UNI.

In the opener, Wright State manufactured a run to take a 1-0 lead in the second. A walk to Lindsay Barrett, who advanced to second on a passed ball and to third on a sac bunt, set up a two-out single from Kristi Boreing that put the first dent on the scoreboard.

The Raiders added to that lead in the sixth after a leadoff single from Jess Gorman, just their second hit of the day, was followed by a two-run homer from Kacie Rapshus that gave them a 3-0 advantage.

Senior Jessica Guy got the Gamecocks' first hit in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff single and then scored their first run after a Sara Borders walk and a Kalee Tabor double. The opposite field double from Tabor chased Wear from the circle and set up the rest of the big inning for JSU.

Sarah Shanika came in to relieve Wear in the circle and promptly allowed the Gamecocks to cut their deficit to 3-2 on a grounder from Savannah Sloan in which the Raiders couldn't get an out. Borders slid in safely, setting up three-straight walks by Shanika to Johnston, Oliver and Martinez that gave the Gamecocks their first lead of the day.

Tiffany Harbin (6-3) walked Boreing to lead off the seventh but struck out the side to close out the win for JSU. The Hazel Green, Ala., native ended the game with eight strikeouts and allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits in seven innings of work to earn the win.

Shanika suffered the loss for Wright State after surrendering the final run of the game on her third walk. Wear ended up allowing three runs on two hits and three walks in just over five innings in the circle.

Johnston, a senior from Northport, Ala., went 0-for-2 but reached in every at bat. She walked in her final plate appearance after reaching on an error in the first two.

The Gamecocks continue play on Saturday, when they conclude round-robin games with host Arkansas at 12:30 p.m. CT. They will then begin bracket play in one of the semifinal games to determine whether they play in Sunday's championship or consolation game.