JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State opened its JSU Invitational in impressive fashion on Friday, sweeping games with Samford and UT San Antionio on a cold day at University Field.
The Gamecocks (8-7) claimed a 6-2 win over the Bulldogs (7-10) to start their day and then rolled to a 14-7 victory over the Roadrunners (12-6) to close it. JSU hit a combined .444 over the two games, thanks to 28 hits.
Ten different Gamecocks recorded at least one hit, with eight of those picking up multiple hits. Junior
Jada Terry and freshman
Megan Fortner had five apiece, while sophomore
Savannah Sudduth added four from the leadoff spot.
In the first game of the day, JSU scored first on a
Sidney Wagnon RBI in the second, only to watch the Bulldogs plate two in the fourth to claim a one-run lead midway through the game.
Fortner answered in the home half of the fourth with a solo homer that tied it, and then an
Alexus Jimmerson RBI in the fifth put a 3-2 JSU lead on the board. The Gamecocks broke it open in the sixth with three unearned runs, thanks to four Samford errors in the frame, to take the deciding lead.
Sophomore
Lexi Androlevich (2-1) grabbed the win in relief for the Gamecocks, tossing 2 and 2/3 scoreless innings in the circle. Junior
Reagan Watkins pitched the first 4 and 1/3 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits.
Megan Robertson (1-4) suffered the loss for Samford, giving up four runs, only one earned, on five hits in 2 and 2/3 innings. Emily Barnett allowed two runs on five hits in 3 and 1/3 innings.
Terry led the JSU offensive effort in the game, going 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, while Wagnon had two hits.
In the final game of the day, the Gamecocks outslugged the Roadrunners behind 18 hits, five of which went for extra bases.
Fortner notched her first career four-hit game by going 4-for-5 with a double and three RBI, while sophomore
Karsen Mosley homered and drove in four in the game. Junior
Lizzy VanManen drove in four of her own, going 2-for-4 with a double.
JSU scored early with a first-inning run, but UTSA answered with four-straight to take a 4-1 lead in the third. That's when JSU's offense went to work, plating six in the third and four more in the fourth to take an 11-4 lead.
The Gamecocks never looked back, holding off a pair of Roadrunner threats and adding insurance late to grab the win.
Macy Bearden (2-4) earned the win in the circle for JSU. She allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings, while striking out seven along the way.
Jimmerson picked up a three-inning save, one that saw her limit UTSA's explosive offense to two runs on three hits.
Makenzie Carpenter (4-2) suffered the loss, surrendering seven runs on seven hits in less than three innings in the circle.
The Jacksonville State Invitational will conclude on Saturday with three games. UTSA and Samford will start things off at 10 a.m., and JSU will face UTSA at 12:30 p.m. and Samford at 3 p.m.
