HATTIESBURG, Miss. –
Alexus Jimmerson tossed a two-hit shutout to lift the Jacksonville State softball team to a win in the final game of its series at Southern Miss on Saturday, salvaging a split on the day.
Jimmerson pitched the Gamecocks (11-9) to a 3-0 win in the day's finale after the Eagles (14-7) earned a 4-3 walk-off win in the first game of the day. After a one-run loss on Friday, JSU fell in two of the three games in the weekend series.
Jimmerson was the story in the final game of the series, allowing just two USM singles to earn her first win of the season in the circle. She struck out four and worked around six walks to lead the Gamecocks to the win.
The Gamecocks gave Jimmerson enough run support while she pitched her gem in the circle. They scored single runs in the second and third innings to take the lead and then added an insurance run in the seventh.
The first run came on an Eagle fielding error, while
Megan Fortner drove in the second on her third-inning RBI single.
Karsen Mosley doubled in the final run in the seventh.
Sophomore
Savannah Sudduth scored twice in her 2-for-4 game, while five other players scattered the team's other five hits.
Jimmerson (1-0) bested Kaylan Ladner (2-4) in the circle to earn the win. Ladner suffered the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits and a pair of walks. She struck out two and hit a batter.
In the first game of the day, JSU held a one-run lead after four but dropped its second-one-run loss in as many games to the Eagles.
After a two-run homer from Hannah Borden gave Southern Miss the early lead in the first inning, the Gamecocks rallied in the middle innings. A third-inning throwing error allowed
Keeli Bobbitt to score and make it a one-run game, and then an RBI double from
Sidney Wagnon and a passed ball gave JSU a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
Borden drove in the tying run in the fifth on a double play ball and then had the game winning hit with two outs in the seventh. Her single through the left side off of Androlevich drove in Karley Nichols from third and gave the Eagles the win.
Nicole Rodriguez started the game for JSU and pitched the first inning, allowing the two-run homer.
Reagan Watkins (2-1) suffered the loss despite limiting the Eagles to two runs on three hits in 5 and 2/3 innings of relief work.
Makenna Pierce (5-0) was credited with the win after holding JSU to just one hit in 3 and 2/3 scoreless innings of work.
The Gamecocks will return home on Tuesday, when they host Alabama State in a single game at 5 p.m. at University Field.
