Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

PHOTO GALLERY

AUBURN – The Jacksonville State softball team split a pair of games on the first day of the Auburn Wilson/DeMarini Classic, routing Mississippi Valley State 13-1 before losing a 6-5 heartbreaker in nine innings to the host Tigers.

The Gamecocks (10-4) grabbed an early lead over the Delta Devils to start the first game, scoring five in the first and three more in the second, and never looked back. In game two, Auburn struck first and pulled out to a 5-2 lead before a two-out Sara Borders homer in the seventh sent the game to extra innings. The Tigers got a ground ball to short from Morgan Estell to grab the walk-off win.

Borders went 4-for-7 on the day, recording two hits in each game. She doubled and singled in the first game before her two homers and three RBI against Auburn. The Alexandria, Ala., native extended her hitting streak to nine games and now has 10 multi-hit games through just 14 games this season. Her .532 average and 16 RBI lead the Gamecocks.

Senior Amanda Maldonado went 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBI in the win over MVSU.

The Gamecocks jumped on the Delta Devils in the first inning, scoring five runs on four hits, three walks and a hit batter. Ella Denes started the inning with a double to right center and scored the game's first run on a bases loaded walk to Kalee Tabor. Cadi Oliver and Stephanie Lewis each had RBI singles in the inning, while Maldonado drove one in after being hit and Hayden Crawford picked up an RBI on JSU's second bases loaded walk of the inning.

Maldonado stretched the Gamecocks lead to 8-0 in the second, thanks to a two-out blast over the wall in left. After homering just once as a junior in 2013, the Tucson, Ariz., native hit her second three-run blast in as many games and ran her RBI total to a career-high four before the second inning ended.

MVSU got on the board after doubles by Tracey Williams and Deja Talton in the third, but JSU put It out of reach in the home half of the fourth. After a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs, sophomore Casey Craig drew a walk to make it a 9-1 game. Taylor Sloan then hit one to center, where it was misplayed, resulting in a three-run error. A Borders double followed to drive in Sloan and push JSU's lead to 13-1.

Akenberger (4-1) earned the win for JSU, holding the Delta Devils to a run on five hits in five innings in the circle. She walked one and struck out four. Cassandra Rivera (0-6) suffered the loss, surrendering 13 runs, nine earned, on 10 hits and seven walks in four innings of work.

The Tigers were the ones to get on the board early in the second game, after a pair of walks from Tiffany Harbin to lead off the bottom of the first set up a Kasey Cooper sac fly that gave Auburn an early 1-0 lead. A leadoff hit batter got things going for Auburn in the third, when three walks, another hit batter and a ground out gave them four runs despite recording just one hit.

The Gamecocks finally got on the board in the top of the fourth, when walks to Tabor and Oliver set up an RBI double Savannah Sloan. The two bagger down the left field line also put runners at second and third with no outs, but Auburn starter Marcy Harper struck out Maldonado and got Crawford and Lewis to pop up to keep the score 5-1.

Borders got another run for the Gamecocks in the fifth, thanks to a two-out solo homer to left. Her third home run of the season cut the Tigers' lead to 5-2.

When JSU seemed to be done in the seventh, Denes laced a two-out double down the right field line to keep JSU's hopes alive. Taylor Sloan then hit a grounder to shortstop Kelsey Bogaards, who threw it away and allowed Denes to score and Borders to step to the plate. Borders delivered the first pitch from Harper over the wall in right field, tying the game and sending it to extra innings.

With the International Tiebreaker Rule in effect, neither team could move its runner over in the eighth and JSU left its runner stranded in the top of the ninth. The Tigers got their bunt from Emily Carosene down in the bottom half of the ninth, moving Tiffany Howard to third and allowing her to score on Morgan Estell's grounder to short in the ensuing at bat.

Harbin started the game in the circle but was removed after surrendering five runs on just one hit with no outs in the third. She issued six walks and hit a batter in just over two innings of work and struck out one.

True freshman Logan Green (2-1) suffered the first loss of her career in tough-luck fashion. The Hebron, Md., nativepitched 6.1 innings of relief and allowed an unearned run on just two hits. She walked three and struck out four.

Lexi Davis (5-1) entered the game in relief of HArper after Borders' game-tying homer in the seventh. She grabbed the win after holding JSU hitless and striking out four in 2.1 innings of relief. Harper gave up five runs, just two earned, on five hits in 6.2 innings in the circle. She walked five and struck out seven.

The Gamecocks will play Auburn again on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. before wrapping up play in the tournament at 6 p.m. against Purdue.