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Box Score 2 MARTIN, Tenn. – The Jacksonville State softball team ran its Ohio Valley Conference win streak to 16 with a doubleheader sweep of UT Martin in the OVC opener for both teams on Friday.
The Gamecocks (13-15, 2-0 OVC) scored six runs in each game of the opening twinbill of conference play, earning a 6-4 win in the opener before closing the day with a 6-2 triumph over the Skyhawks (14-18, 0-2 OVC).
The wins extend JSU's streak of consecutive OVC wins to 16 after winning the final 14 in their 15-1 conference championship run in 2017. The Gamecocks have now won 45 of their last 46 regular season OVC matchups.
JSU hit .400 on the day, amassing 14 hits in the opener and 10 more in the nightcap. Five Gamecocks hit over .400 on the day, led by the senior duo of
Emily Woodruff and
Leila Chambers, who each went 4-for-7 over the doubleheader. Senior
Caitlyn Sapp was 4-for-9 with a homer, while freshman
Jada Terry also homered.
The first game saw the Gamecocks fall in an early 1-0 hole but battle back. The Skyhawks plated one in the first, but JSU tied it in the top of the second on a Terry squeeze bunt that plated Chambers.
The third was when the Gamecocks broke the game open. A four-run frame was started by Chambers' two-run double down the right field line that was followed by a
Hayley Sims squeeze and a
Ryann Luna RBI single.
The Skyhawks got two back in the sixth, but an RBI single from Woodruff added an insurance run in the seventh and sealed the win.
Faith Sims (8-7) went the distance in the circle for JSU, allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits in seven innings of work. She also struck out four and walked three.
Hannah Ridolfi (6-9) was tagged with the loss for the Skyhawks after she gave up five runs on 11 hits in 4 and 1/3 innings of work.
After earning the win in the opener, Sims would get the save in the nightcap after she closed out
Nicole Rodriguez' solid start. Rodriguez went 5 and 1/3 innings and limited UTM to two runs on just five hits and struck out four before making way for Sims in the sixth.
The junior recorded the last five outs and allowed just one hit in the process to notch her second save of the year.
UTM struck first again in the second game, scoring a run in the third to break a scoreless tie. JSU answered quickly again, plating two on Terry's two-run blast down the left field line that gave the Gamecocks the lead for good.
JSU scored three in the fifth on RBI singles from
Taylor Beshears and Chambers and a sac fly from
Alexus Jimmerson, while Sapp's seventh-inning homer added an insurance run.
Caitlyn Cairo (8-6) suffered the loss for UTM after she surrendered five runs on nine hits in 4 and 2/3 innings.
JSU will continue its road swing to open OVC play on Sunday with a doubleheader at Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The first game will start at 1 p.m. CT.
