JACKSONVILLE – Georgia Tech jumped to an early five-run lead and held off a Jacksonville State rally in a 5-3 win over the Gamecocks on Wednesday at University Field.
A run in the first and four in the second staked the Yellow Jackets (15-29) to an early 5-0 lead, and starter Christina Biggerstaff held the Gamecocks (26-14) off of the bases until the fifth inning. The win by Tech avenges a 2-1 loss to JSU in Atlanta on March 11.
JSU senior
Sara Borders had one of JSU's two hits, a three-run homer in the sixth that put the Gamecocks on the board. She drilled the first pitch from Biggerstaff in the at bat over the wall in left center for her 41st career round tripper, passing Chrissy O'Neal for second on JSU's all-time list.
Stephanie Lewis had the Gamecocks' other hit, a fifth inning single that ended Biggerstaff's bid for a no-no. Karly Fullem went 3-for-4 with a double and four of Tech's five RBI in the game, while Courtney Ziese had a pair of hits in three at bats.
JSU starter
Whitney Gillespie struggled in the first inning, hitting the leadoff batter and then allowing an RBI single to Fullem that gave the Yellow Jackets a quick 1-0 lead. After a walk to Ziese,
Taylor West entered the game and induced a Kelsey Chisolm grounder that got JSU out of the inning with just one run allowed.
Control haunted the Gamecocks in the second, when a leadoff walk to Colleen Darragh after an 0-2 count and then an 0-2 pitch that hit Middie Lionberger put the first two batters on for Tech. A sacrifice bunt and a line out to short got West an out away from getting out of the inning, but a pinch hit bloop single from Morgan Taylor plated one and a bases-loaded double from Fullem made it a 5-0 game.
The Gamecocks didn't have a baserunner against Biggerstaff until the fifth inning, when a leadoff walk to
Cadi Oliver broke up her perfect game and a one-out single from
Stephanie Lewis put the no-hitter behind her.
Borders got the Gamecocks on the board in the sixth on the Gamecocks' second hit of the day, her 10th homer of the season. The three-run blast to left center chased Biggerstaff from the circle and cut Tech's lead to 5-3.
Stephanie Lewis drew a leadoff walk in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate for JSU, but Kylie Kleinschmidt was able to get through the inning with no damage and earn her first save of the year.
Gillespie (8-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing the first inning run on one hit and one walk. West allowed four runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 frames of relief work, striking out three and walking three.
Biggerstaff (7-5) allowed three runs on two hits in 5 1/3 innings. She struck out nine and walked three in the win. Kleinschmidt walked one and struck out two in 1 2/3 hitless innings of relief to avenge the loss she suffered in the previous meeting.
The Gamecocks host two Ohio Valley Conference doubleheaders this weekend at University Field. Murray State comes calling on Saturday, while Austin Peay will pay a visit on Sunday. Both twinbills will start at 1 p.m. and admission is free for JSU students and fans ages 18 and under.
