NASHVILLE – Whitney Gillespie tossed her first career no-hitter and the Gamecock offense played long ball on Sunday, when the Jacksonville State softball team run-ruled Tennessee State 11-0 and capped the three-game series sweep.
 
Gillespie needed just 75 pitches to put the finishing touches on her first no-no, one that saw her strike out a career-high nine batters despite needing just five innings in the mercy-rule shortened contest. She allowed just three base runners, two on walks and one on an error, to win her sixth-straight decision and improve to 6-1 on the season.
 
The win gives the Gamecocks (20-13, 10-0 Ohio Valley Conference) their 11th win in a row, the longest since a 13-game streak in 2011, and extends JSU's best start in league play to 10-0.
 
While the sophomore from Pelham was working in the circle, the Gamecock offense was busy terrorizing the Tigers' pitchers. JSU used three three-run home runs to provide most of the pop in a 13-hit effort. The offensive barrage capped a weekend that saw JSU hit .469 (45-for-96) with32 runs, 11 doubles, two triples and the three long balls.
 
Junior Jamie McGuire hit the first one in the first inning, putting an early 3-0 JSU lead on the board. The other two came in a seven-run fourth. Junior Emily Church extended her team lead with her sixth long ball and then sophomore Leila Chambers connected for her first career homer to put the deciding 11-0 score on the board.
 
JSU other run came in the second, when a leadoff triple from freshman Anna Chisolm set up an RBI single from sophomore Emily Woodruff.
 
Church went 3-for-4 to lead JSU at the plate, where she added a double to her three-run blast. Chisolm and McGuire each had two hits in the game.
 
Lauren Woodard (2-16) suffered the loss for TSU, allowing three runs on three hits in one inning of work. Lauren Powell surrendered three runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings, while Erica O'Kane allowed five on five hits in 1 2/3 frames.
 
The Gamecocks will put their win streak on the line Tuesday, when they play at UAB at 4 p.m. in Birmingham. They will then travel to Cape Girardeau, Mo., for a Saturday doubleheader at Southeast Missouri.