JSU Softball Upends Arkansas, Advances to Woo Pig Title Game

Saturday, March 2

Fayeteville, Ark.

12:30 p.m.

Jacksonville State University

10-8

Arkansas

14-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Jacksonville State	2	0	0	2	0	1	0	5	8	1
Arkansas	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	4	5	3

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

3/2/2013 8:48:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Jacksonville State softball team upended host Arkansas 5-4 and then got a walk-off 4-3 win over Wright State on Saturday to advance to Sunday's Championship of the Woo Pig Classic.

In the final game of the round-robin portion of the tournament, the Gamecocks (11-8) grabbed an early lead and held on for the one-run win over the Razorbacks (14-6). They had to use a different means to down the Raiders (2-12) in the first round of bracket play, overcoming a 3-0 deficit before getting a walk-off sac fly from junior Kalee Tabor in the seventh inning for the win.

JSU has now won nine of its last 11 games, with its lone two losses coming to Atlantic Coast Conference foes Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. The Gamecocks will play Arkansas again at 12:30 p.m. CT on Sunday for the Woo Pig Classic Title.

Senior Hilary Phillips stymied the Razorbacks' bats in the first game of the day, limiting them to a run on three hits in 5.1 innings in the circle. The Ider, Ala., native struck out three and walked a pair to improve to 2-0 on the season. Junior Savanna Hennings got the final three outs of the game to earn her first save.

The Gamecock offense went to work early for Phillips, getting her a 2-0 lead before she toed the rubber in the bottom of the first. Fellow senior Kelci Johnston laced a two-out, two-run single to center in the top of the inning, giving the Gamecocks a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Nicole Schroeder got the Razorbacks on the board in the second with a leadoff home run, but the Gamecocks and junior Amanda Martinez answered with two runs in the fourth and another in the sixth. Martinez, a native of Tuscon Ariz., delivered a two-run single in the fourth and then an RBI double in the sixth to put her team up 5-1.

Arkansas refused to go quietly in the home half of the seventh. Junior Tiffany Harbin issued a pair of walks to set up a three-run homer to right from Chloe Oprzedek that cut the Gamecocks' lead to 5-4. After Devon Wallace singled in the next at bat, Hennings entered the game and retired the next three batters to close the win.

Kimmie Beasley suffered the loss for the Razorbacks by allowing four runs, two earned, pn six hits ion 4.2 innings of work. She did strike out 10 batters and walked two. Chelsea Cohen gave up the other run on one hit in 2.1 innings in the circle, striking out six and walking one.

In the bracket semifinal against Wright State, the Raiders drew first blood by grabbing a run in the first and two more in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. The Gamecocks began to battle at that point, getting a two-out double from Johnston and then a two-run home run from freshman Cadi Oliver that cut their deficit to one run.

That score remained until the sixth, when sophomore Sara Borders' leadoff home run tied the game and set the stage for JSU to win it in the seventh. A Wright State error got things started for the Gamecocks, when Krystal Ruth reached on a one-out miscue by third baseman Kacie Rapshus. Phillips entered to pinch run for Ruth before Jessica Guy and Borders then walked to load the bases, setting up Tabor's fly ball to center that drove in Phillips for the walk-off win.

Harbin (7-3) earned the win in her sixth complete game in nine starts this season. The native of Hazel Green, Ala., allowed three runs, only two earned, on four hits while striking out nine in seven strong innings.

Montana Wear started the game for the Raiders and held JSU to three runs on six hits in just over six innings in the circle. She struck out six and walked three before making way for reliever Krystian DeWitt. DeWitt suffered the loss despite not allowing a hit and retiring two batters in the seventh.