Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Senior Krystal Ruth had six hits and sophomore Savannah Sloan drove in four runs in a doubleheader sweep for the Jacksonville State softball team on Friday, when the Gamecocks handed Alabama A&M a 9-1 loss in the opener and a 7-1 defeat in the nightcap.

Ruth, a native of Wylie, Texas, went 6-for-10 in the twinbill, leading a Gamecocks (13-9) offense that amassed 24 hits and posted a .381 team average in the two wins over the Bulldogs. Sloan, a Reynolds, Ga., native, went 5-for-10 in her plate appearances and drove in two runs in each game.

Four Gamecocks recorded multiple hits in the first game, with seniors Krystal Ruth and Jessica Guy and sophomore Savannah Sloan each going 3-for-5. Freshman Ella Denes doubled, homered and walked in her 2-for-3 game.

The Gamecocks got a quick run in the opening game, thanks to a leadoff triple from Ruth and a sacrifice fly to deep center from Sara Borders. They got three more in the second to stretch the lead to 4-0. A leadoff walk to Cadi Oliver set up an RBI double from freshman Ella Denes and an RBI single by Jessica Guy. Ruth, who also singled in the frame, scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.

Denes put the next run on the board, too. The Pisgah, Ala., native drove a 2-2 pitch from Cassandra Brown deep over the wall in right center to lead off the top of the fourth. The first home run of the freshman's career put the Gamecocks up 5-0.

Junior Tiffany Harbin started the game by issuing a leadoff walk to Brianna Ziegler but didn't have any trouble with the strike zone from that point. She tossed three scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing just one walk. After the four-pitch walk to start her outing, the Hazel Green, Ala., native found the strike zone on 32 of her next 39 pitches and left the game with her team holding that 5-0 lead.

Junior Savanna Hennings came on to pitch the fourth and gave up an unearned run on a two-out single from Jasmine James. She got out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth with a strike out of Anisa Britt, and then the Gamecocks tacked on some insurance in the sixth.

Sloan's third single of the game was a big one for the Gamecocks. Her one-out drive to right center plated a pair of runs and gave JSU a 7-1 advantage. It tacked on another on a Bulldog fielding miscue in the sixth before Ruth scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to make it 9-1.

Hennings (1-0) finished the game and got the win for the Gamecocks, allowing an unearned run on seven hits in four innings of work. She struck out three and issued one walk.

Cassandra Brown suffered the loss for AAMU, surrendering eight runs, seven earned, on 11 hits in six innings in the circle. Zeigler led the Bulldogs at the plate with a 3-for-3 effort.

Sloan got thing started for JSU in the second game by lacing a two-out single to center that plated Ruth, who led off the game with a single, and give the Gamecocks a quick 1-0 lead. They grabbed two more in the second, the first on an error that allowed Borders to score and the next on a bases loaded walk to Cara Longworth that put JSU up 3-0.

Two more crossed to make it 5-0 in the fourth, thanks to a Kalee Tabor RBI single and another run-scoring single from Sloan. Tabor drove in another in the fifth, this time by taking a pitch off her helmet with the bases loaded.

Senior Hilary Phillips (3-0) tossed the first four innings for JSU and kept the Bulldogs off of the scoreboard. The Ider, Ala., native did walk three and struck out three, while allowing three hits to earn the win. Freshman Casey Akenberger came on in relief to start the fifth and issued a leadoff single and three-straight walks to put the Bulldogs on the board.

Anisa Britt suffered the loss for the Bulldogs after giving up six runs, five earned, on 11 hits in 4.2 innings in the circle. Meaghan Gray tossed the final 2.1 innings, allowing a run on one hit and a pair of walks.

Akenberger notched her second save of the season, holding the Bulldogs to a run on two hits in three full innings of relief.

The Gamecocks will take the weekend off before returning home to host Mississippi State at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. For tickets visit JSUGamecockSports.com or call the ticket office at (256) 782-8499.