OXFORD – Jacksonville State dropped both games of a doubleheader with first-place Eastern Kentucky on Sunday at Choccolocco Park.
The Ohio Valley Conference-leading Colonels (33-14, 15-1 OVC) claimed a 5-2 win in the opener over the Gamecocks (27-22, 14-6 OVC), before taking a 5-1 win in the nightcap.
In the first game, The Colonels struck early against the Gamecocks and took advantage of a two-out gift.
Faith Sims struck out Mollie Paulick on a ball in the dirt but it went to the backstop, allowing her to reach, a run to score and the inning to be extended. A walk followed and set up a two-run double from Paige Murphy that gave EKU a 3-0 lead.
The Colonels got another in the third on a Carly Robinson RBI single that snuck through the left side and made it a 4-0 game.
JSU finally got on the board in the fifth with a two-run homer from
Taylor Beshears that cut the EKU lead in half.
Anna Chisolm got the inning started with her third single of the game and then scored when Beshears lifted her team-high seventh homer of the season over the wall in right center.
EKU got one of the runs back in the top of the seventh to make it a 5-2 game and JSU mounted a threat in its last chance.
A leadoff single from
Emily Woodruff, a Chisolm walk and a two-out single from
Alexus Jimmerson loaded the bases for
Ryann Luna. After battling off several two-strike pitches, she fouled one down the right field line only to watch EKU's Emily Corbitt make a diving catch to end the game.
Sims (17-8) suffered the loss in the circle for JSU after allowing five runs on eight hits and six walks in seven innings of work, while Murphy McRoberts (11-4) earned the win. She held JSU to two runs on six hits and struck out six in 5 and 1/3 innings. She walked two. Paulick earned her second save of the year after allowing two hits and a walk in 1 and 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
The Gamecocks wasted little time getting on the board in the second game, grabbing a run in the home half of the first.
Caitlyn Sapp led off the frame with a single to center and then scored from first on Beshears' double into the left field corner.
The Colonels put their first runs on the board in the top of the third, when a two-run single from Corbitt gave them a 2-1 lead.
EKU got three insurance runs on a pair of seventh inning long balls. Murphy hit a two-run shot and then Corbitt delivered a solo homer to make it a 5-1 game.
Paulick (14-5) earned the win in the circle after limiting the Gamecocks to a run on six hits in seven innings of work. Jimmerson (7-6) suffered the loss, surrendering two runs on five hits in 5 and 1/3 innings, while
Nicole Rodriguez allowed three runs on two hits in 1 and 1/3 innings of relief.
The Gamecocks return to action on Wednesday, when they host UAB in their final non-conference game of the season at 5 p.m. at Choccolocco Park.
