PHOTO GALLERY

OXFORD – The Jacksonville State softball team got two big swings and some clutch defense to defeat Murray State 5-0 in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Wednesday at Choccolocco Park.
 
The top-seeded Gamecocks (38-14) held off a pesky Racers (23-30) squad that seemed to mount threats in almost every offensive opportunity. JSU held them off, stranding nine MSU runners, seven in scoring position, to set up a few big swings that pushed JSU into the second round. The Gamecocks will face No. 4 seed SIUE at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
 
Sophomore Leila Chambers delivered the first blast for JSU, a two-run shot to left center that broke a scoreless tie in the fourth. Junior Emily Church had the second, another two-run homer, this one a line drive over the center field wall that made it a 4-0 game.
 
Sophomore pitcher Whitney Gillespie continued to be solid in the JSU circle, tossing her eighth complete-game shut out in her 15th start against OVC foes this season. The Pelham, Ala., native that was named the league's Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday held the Racers to four hits and improved to 15-1 on the season. She dropped her ERA to a league-best 0.89.
 
Church and senior Ella Denes, the league's Player of the Year, each had two hits in the win, while Chambers scored two runs.
 
The Racers threatened to take early control of the game, putting runners at second and third with no outs in the third. JSU's defense stepped up, turning a Brenna Finck chopper to short and a rundown into two outs at the plate.
 
JSU took advantage of the momentum gained from working out of the jam in the home half of the third. Emily Church led off with a double off the right field wall and set the stage for Chambers' opposite field homer that put a 2-0 Gamecock lead on the board.
 
The Racers continued to put runners in scoring position and the Gamecocks continued to get out of jams. Church made it a 4-0 game in the sixth on a two-run laser over the wall in center, and an Ella Denes single scored Chambers to put the deciding 5-0 score on the board.
 
Mason Robinson (18-15) was good early but JSU finally broke through against the MSU ace. She suffered the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.
 
Jessica Twaddle led MSU at the plate, going 2-for-2.