OXFORD – The Jacksonville State softball team won its third-straight Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title on Saturday with a 9-1 mercy-rule win over top-seeded Eastern Kentucky at Choccolocco Park.
The third-seeded Gamecocks (33-23) got two home runs from
Leila Chambers and
Taylor Beshears' fourth home run of the tournament, and got a one-hitter from
Faith Sims to oust the Colonels (40-18) via the run rule. The win gives JSU its seventh OVC Tournament Crown and makes them the first team to win three-straight since Tennessee Tech did it from 2005-07.
The Gamecocks advance to the NCAA Regionals for the ninth time and will learn their destination and opponent on Sunday at 9 p.m. CT, when the selection show airs on ESPN2. The Gamecocks will host a Selection Show Watch Party at Struts in Jacksonville, beginning at 8 p.m. CT.
Beshears was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after a monster week to lead the Gamecock offense. The junior from Trussville, Ala., and transfer from Wallace State went 7-for-13 (.538) with four home runs, nine RBI and a 1.462 slugging percentage in JSU's four tournament games. She homered once in every game and was also walked three times to give her a .625 on-base percentage.
She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Sims and seniors
Emily Woodruff and Chambers. Sims was 4-0 with a 2.62 ERA in the tournament but allowed just two runs over the final three games. Opponents hit just .163 against the junior from Cordova, Ala.
Woodruff hit .500 (6-for-12) at the plate, but the Albertville, Ala., native's defensive play in centerfield was just as important. She made several running catches and robbed a home run in the seventh inning of Friday's winner's bracket final win.
Chambers' bat came to life in the tournament after entering the week in an 0-for-23 slump. She busted out, getting two hits in the 11-10 first-round win over Eastern Illinois and then belted the two homers in a 3-for-3 game on Saturday to finish the week with a .417 average, a double, two home runs and five RBI.
For the third-straight day, Beshears got the Gamecocks on the board with a home run. She launched a 1-1 pitch from Murphy McRoberts deep beyond the left field wall. Her fourth home run in four games in the tournament put JSU up 2-0.
The Gamecocks weren't done with the long ball in the first. After
Alexus Jimmerson walked, Chambers connected on a Peyton Hutchins pitch and cleared the left column holding up the scoreboard in right center field and gave JSU a 4-0 lead.
The Colonels got one back in the third on a Hannah Clark sac fly, but JSU got it right back in the home half of the frame. The Gamecocks loaded the bases for
Jada Terry, who ripped a single into left to sore Chambers and put JSU up 5-1.
Chambers continued to work in the fourth with her second home run of the game. This time she lined a three-run laser over the center field wall to increase the Gamecocks' lead to 8-1.
The final run came in the fifth, when
Hannahstaysia Weaver, who was running for
Hayley Sims after her leadoff single, scored from second on an infield single by
Caitlyn Sapp. Weaver was initially called out at the plate after shortstop Clark went deep into the hole to retrieve Sapp's grounder and threw home, but after an umpires meeting on the infield, it was ruled that catcher Zoe Mihalicz blocked Weaver's lane to the plate and the run was counted.
The win capped another gem by
Faith Sims (22-9) in the tournament, her third complete-game in as many days. She limited the Colonels to one hit, a third-inning single from Mattira Morales. She struck out three and walked three.
The Colonels tried to find an effective pitcher all day, but all four arms that entered the circle surrendered at least one run. McRoberts (11-7) started and suffered the loss after allowing three runs on one hit and two walks before leaving after retiring just one batter. Peyton Hutchins allowed one run without recording an out, and then Samantha Reynoso surrendered four runs on seven hits in 4 and 1/3 innings. Mollie Paulick gave up the final run.
