NASHVILLE- Jacksonville State scored in double figures twice on Saturday en route to a doubleheader sweep at Tennessee State and the best start to Ohio Valley Conference play in school history.
 
The Gamecocks (19-13, 9-0 OVC) saw their bats come to life late in an 11-3 win that opened the day and then cruised to a 10-2 mercy-rule win in the second game. JSU tied and passed the 2011 Gamecocks that started 8-0 in league play for the best start to an OVC campaign in the program's 13 years in the league.
 
Jax State also won its 10th straight game overall, the longest win streak by a Gamecock club since 2014.
 
In 12 innings of play on Saturday, the Gamecock offense hit .471 (32-for-68) and had six players with at least four hits. Senior Ella Denes was 6-for-9 with two doubles and a triple, while junior Stephanie Lewis' 5-for-8 day resulted in two doubles and two RBI. Sophomore Emily Woodruff was 4-for-6 and drove in three runs.
 
In the first game of the day, starting pitcher Whitney Gillespie (5-1) needed little run support but got plenty. The Pelham, Ala., native allowed just one run on three hits, while striking out seven in six innings in the circle.
 
She and TSU's Erica O'Kane were locked in a scoreless battle through three innings before Jax State pushed three runs across in the top of the fourth. Woodruff drew a bases loaded walk to plate the game's first run and an error by shortstop Lindsey Burgess allowed two unearned runs to cross and give JSU a 3-0 lead.
 
JSU got another on an RBI grounder by Jordan Bullock in the sixth and broke the game wide open in the seventh with seven runs on seven hits, three of which were doubles.
 
Gillespie left the game with an 11-1 lead and made way from senior Casey Akenberger to toss the final frame, in which she allowed two runs on two hits and a walk.
 
O'Kane (2-4) was tagged with the loss for TSU after surrendering three runs, only one earned, on six hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings of work. Lauren Woodard, gave up the other eight runs on 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief work.
 
Denes and Lewis each had three-hit games at the plate for JSU, while four other Gamecocks had two hits.
 
In the nightcap, JSU didn't wait as long to get on the scoreboard. Denes led off with a single and back-to-back RBI base hits from Jamie McGuire and Gillespie staked Akenberger to an early 2-0 lead. Denes scored another run in the second, when her one-out triple set up a Bullock RBI single through the left side.
 
After a scoreless third, the Gamecocks plated five in the fourth and two in the fifth to reach the mercy-rule decision after five.
 
Akenberger allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits through 2 1/3  innings. She struck out three before junior Taylor West came on in relief. West (5-4) grabbed the win after tossing the final 2 2/3 innings with her only blemish being a walk. She struck out two.
 
Lauren Powell (3-8) started the game for TSU and allowed eight runs on 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings. O'Kane tossed the final 1 1/3 for the Tigers and allowed two runs on four hits.
 
Gillespie was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI in the game, while McGuire drove in three in her 2-for-4 effort. Denes was 3-for-4 with a double and a triple and scored three runs.
 
The Gamecocks will go for their fourth straight series sweep to open OVC play on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the final game of the series. A win would also extend JSU's win streak to 11, which would be its longest since a 13-game run in the 2011 campaign.