JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The bats couldn't get going for the Jacksonville State softball team on Friday, when the Gamecocks fell 4-0 to Virginia Tech and 3-1 to Maine on Day one of the North Florida Tournament.
The Gamecocks (4-3) saw a pair of pitching gems on the first day of the UNF Tourney, starting with Kelly Heinz of the Hokies (6-0). The Black Bears (1-0) then watched Erin Bogdanovich toss a complete game in their season opener.
In the opener against Virginia Tech, JSU managed four hits off of Heinz but had at least one baserunner in all but one inning. Freshman
Emily Woodruff went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a stolen base, while senior
Sara Borders reached twice with a single and a walk.
Heinz struck out five and walked two in her seven scoreless innings, while JSU freshman
Whitney Gillespie tossed a complete game for the Gamecocks, allowing four runs on six hits. The Pelham, Ala., native struck out seven Hokies and walked four.
VT cracked the scoreboard with a two-run double from Katey Smith in the third and then tacked on two more in the fifth on singles from Kylie McGoldrick and Kelsey Mericka.
Against the Black Bears in the second game of the day, the Gamecocks drew first blood in the bottom of the second on an
Ella Denes double that plated
Cadi Oliver after her leadoff hit.
Maine answered quickly, scoring twice in the top of the third on an RBI double from Felicia Lennon and a run-scoring single from Janelle Bouchard. The Black Bears would tack on another run in the sixth on Lennon's second hit of the game.
Denes and
Melanie Steer each went 2-for-3 for the Gamecocks in the loss.
Sophomore
Logan Green (2-1) took the loss for JSU after allowing three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. She walked six and struck out three. Bogdanovich (1-0) won the game after holding JSU to a run on six hits in seven frames. She struck out five.
The Gamecocks will continue play on Saturday against James Madison at 3:45 p.m. CT before closing the day against host North Florida at 6 p.m. CT.
