JACKSONVILLE –
Emily Woodruff provided heroics at the plate in game one and in the field in game two of a doubleheader sweep of SIU-Edwardsville in a battle of the Ohio Valley Conference's top two teams on Saturday.
The Jacksonville State junior from Albertville ended JSU's 5-3 win in game one with an eighth-inning walk-off home run and then saved a 2-1 win in game two with a diving catch that started a double play in the seventh inning. The Gamecocks (34-9, 13-1 OVC) swept the Cougars (35-10, 10-4 OVC) for the second-straight season and grabbed two big wins in the first-ever meeting between two top 50 RPI teams from the OVC.
The 50th-ranked Gamecocks improved their case for national recognition with the sweep of the No. 40 Cougars and broke a tie in the all-time series that now leans in JSU's favor, 12-10.
The Gamecocks also won the second game with a big swing, but got that one from junior
Leila Chambers. The Molena, Ga., native broke a 1-1 tie with a laser homer in the bottom of the sixth that capped an impressive day that also saw her knock a two-out double to extend the inning that set up Woodruff's game winner in the first game.
SIUE struck early in game one on a pair of first-inning seeing-eye singles that each scored a run. A leadoff hit batter and a wild pitch contributed to both runs, the first allowed by
Whitney Gillespie in 24 1/3 innings.
Gillespie and Haley Chambers-Book put up zeroes for the next few frames until the Gamecocks capitalized on a fourth-inning error by the Cougars. It came from the pitcher, who tried to get the lead runner on a sac bunt attempt by
Hayley Sims. Chambers-Book's throw to third sailed high and into the left field corner to allow two runs to score.
JSU took the lead in the fifth, thanks to
Alexus Jimmerson's second homer of the year. Her solo blast cut through the wind deep beyond the fence in right center to put JSU up 3-2.
The Gamecocks didn't hold the lead for long, though. SIUE got an unearned run across in the top of the sixth to tie it, and both pitchers made sure the game went into extras.
The home half of the eighth was when Woodruff worked her magic. Chambers set up the game winner, driving Chambers-Book's 3-2 pitch to the wall in right for a double that brought Woodruff to the plate. She turned on the first pitch she saw and easily cleared the wall just inside the left field foul pole to plate the winning runs.
Gillespie (16-3) won the battle of the OVC's last two Pitchers of the Year, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits in eight innings. The reigning OVC POTY struck out two and walked one.
Chambers-Book (22-6) was tagged with the loss despite starting strong. JSU plated five runs, three earned, on seven hits and struck out six times while drawing three walks in 7 2/3 innings.
The Gamecocks scored first in the second game, plating another run off of the bat of Woodruff with two outs. This time it was a single to center that did the damage, scoring Gillespie from second after her leadoff single to put JSU up 1-0.
Chambers-Book drew a bases loaded walk in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 1-1, a score that would stand until Chambers' big swing in the sixth. That swing came on Emily Ingles' first pitch of the at bat and the junior from Molena, Ga., hit it off of the tin roof on the batting cage beyond the right field wall.
The Cougars threatened in the seventh with a leadoff single and a drive into the left centerfield gap, but Woodruff made an improbable catch and throw to retire the batter and double up the runner at first. She ran to her right and went airborne to make the diving catch that would've tied the game.
After a walk and a single followed, Gillespie moved into the circle to record the final out and notch the save. She saved the game for senior
Taylor West (14-4), who earned the win after allowing just one run on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings of work. The win was the 49th of her career, passing JSU Hall of Famer Ann Shelton for fourth on the school's career wins list.
Ingles (8-4) suffered the loss despite allowing just two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.
The Gamecocks will host Eastern Illinois in a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday, which will also be Senior Day for the JSU program. The Gamecocks' seven seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony that will begin at 12:45 p.m. Admission is free for JSU students and all fans ages 18 and under.
