JACKSONVILLE — The friendly confines of University Field has once again proved to be the difference for the Jacksonville State softball team this season.
Gamecocks (30-14, 13-5 Ohio Valley Conference) had to come from behind in game one of a doubleheader against Austin Peay (8-30, 4-15 OVC) to defeat the Govs 9-5 before JSU's offense exploded in game two en route to an 18-4 victory. The 18 runs are the most in an OVC game since March 15 of last year, when the Gamecocks scored 17 against Tennessee Tech.
Sara Borders put on an outstanding performance as the senior from Alexandria went 6-for-7 on the day while clubbing two home runs to push her season total to 14, one behind the OVC lead, and driving in six runs and scoring four runs. She now sits eight behind the Jacksonville State career home run mark of 53.
On the week, Borders had a .688 (11-16) batting average while scoring eight runs, hitting five home runs, driving in 13 runs, collecting 28 total bases, and hitting two doubles. She also had an on base percentage of .722 and slugged 1.750.
Over the course of four OVC games this weekend, Borders went 10-for-13 (.765), hit four home runs and drove in 10 runs.
In game one,
Stephanie Lewis continued her hot hitting as she went 2-for-4 including a two-run home run during a five-run fifth inning for Jacksonville State.
Savannah Sloan,
Whitney Gillespie,
Caitlyn Sapp,
Taylor Sloan,
Jordan Bullock and
Emily Woodruff all recorded a hit for the Gamecocks.
Sapp and Woodruff each drove in one and two runs respectively while
Cadi Oliver recorded a sacrifice fly to score
Savannah Sloan to get JSU on the board in the first inning.
Taylor Sloan also scored two runs and
Ella Denes drove in a run on a fielder's choice.
Taylor West started in the circle for the Gamecocks in game one and went 3 2/3 innings before being knocked out of the contest following a Laurel Burroughs grand slam in the top of the fourth. She struck out five while only walking one.
Logan Green came on in relief to go the final 3 1/3 and she only surrendered two hits, struck out two and walked one to earn her 12th win on the season.
In the first inning of the game, catcher
Savannah Sloan swiped second base to become just the seventh player in Gamecocks history to steal 30 bases for her career.
Whitney Gillespie set the Govs down in order to start game two and then
Sara Borders followed a
Savannah Sloan double with a double of her own to put JSU up 1-0 and the Gamecocks never looked back. Later in the inning,
Emily Woodruff singled back up the middle to score Borders and
Stephanie Lewis to make it 3-0.
Another three-up, three-down inning for Gillespie (9-5) in the circle in the top of the second gave the JSU bats a chance to continue their hot streak and they didn't disappoint.
Highlighted by a three-run home run by Borders, the Gamecocks plated four runs in the bottom of the second as a fielder's choice off the bat of
Savannah Sloan plated
Taylor Sloan.
A sacrifice fly to left field by Chandler Groves put Austin Peay on the board as Sidney Hooper scored from third base, but that was all the Govs mustered against Gillespie.
Jacksonville State really came to life in the bottom of the third as the Gamecocks put an eight spot on the scoreboard on eight hits.
Melanie Steer got the party started with a two-run double to score
Emily Woodruff and Gillespie, and then
Cadi Oliver followed with a single to score
Taylor Sloan.
Ella Denes made it three hits in a row as she doubled home Steer and pushed Oliver to third.
Borders doubled home Denes following Oliver scoring off a wild pitch. Woodruff came back up and drove in Borders before
Taylor Sloan plated
Stephanie Lewis to finish the inning.
Taylor West came into the circle to start the fourth and walked the leadoff batter before setting down the rest of the Govs in order. Glencoe native
Jamie McGuire drilled her first home run of the season in the bottom half of the frame.
Austin Peay scored three runs off
Jordan Sims in the top half of the fifth before shutting the door on the Gamecocks' mercy rule win.
Jacksonville State will travel to Belmont next weekend for a doubleheader with the Bruins Saturday before finishing the series on Sunday.