JACKSONVILLE –
Faith Sims threw a no-hitter and earned a save to lead Jacksonville State in sweeping a doubleheader from UT Martin on Friday at University Field and remaining in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings.
Sims struck out nine batters in a seven-inning no-hitter to start the day with a 3-0 win and then nailed down a three-inning save in a 5-2 victory for the Gamecocks (32-12, 16-4 OVC). She held the Skyhawks (27-24, 8-10 OVC) hitless in the three innings in the finale, capping a day that saw her toss 10 innings of hitless softball.
JSU capitalized on big swings at the plate, getting two home runs each from
Karsen Mosley and
Hayley Sims and another from
Alexus Jimmerson.
Anna Chisolm tripled in each game and doubled in the nightcap.
Faith Sims (19-4) got more support than she needed from her offense. The senior from Cordova, Ala., struck out nine batters in the opener and retired the last nine batters she faced to earn her second career no-no and her first since no-hitting Army on Opening Day. She needed just 109 pitches in the first game.
Mosley put JSU up early with a solo homer to left in the first inning.
Hayley Sims increased the lead to 3-0 in the second with a two-out homer that followed Chisolm's first triple of the day.
UTM starter Lexi Ray (7-7) settled in from that point, allowing the three runs on five hits in six innings in the circle. She suffered the loss, despite the solid outing that saw her strike out four and walk a pair.
In the finale, Mosley got things going early again. She hit the first of back-to-back homers with Jimmerson, staking
Nicole Rodriguez to a 2-0 lead.
Hayley Sims made it a 3-0 game in the second with her second homer of the twinbill, a solo opposite field blast to left center.
The Skyhawks cut JSU's lead to one with a pair of third-inning runs, their first of the day through just over nine innings vs. JSU pitchers.
Rodriguez (8-4) took the game into the fifth and earned the win after holding UTM to two runs on six hits and two walks. The Gamecocks turned back to
Faith Sims in the fifth, when she came in to throw three hitless frames to earn her sixth save of the season.
JSU got the two back in the fifth, when Chisolm laced a two-run double to left that scored
Taylor Beshears and Jimmerson and put the final 5-2 score on the board.
JSU will wrap up its conference schedule on Sunday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Southeast Missouri, who entered the day less than a game behind the Gamecocks at the top of the OVC standings. The first game will start at 1 p.m., with Senior Day recognition for JSU's seven seniors beginning at 12:45 p.m. JSU students and fans ages 18 and under receive free admission, and tickets can be purchased online at www.JSUGamecockSports.com.
