RICHMOND, Ky. – The Jacksonville State softball team dropped both games of its series-opening doubleheader at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Colonels (14-6, 6-2 Ohio Valley Conference) used a walk-off home run from Carly Robinson to win the first game in nine innings and then scored early en route to a 13-4 win over the Gamecocks (4-13, 3-5 OVC) in the final game of the day.
 
In the opener, the Gamecocks fell behind early after a three-run first inning by the Colonels, but they battled back before falling in extra innings. A bases loaded walk and then a two-run sac fly into the gap plated the three first-inning runs, but the Gamecocks didn't go away.
 
Senior Jada Terry put the Gamecocks on the board in the third with her sac fly that scored Keeli Bobbitt from third. Terry came through again to tie the game in the fifth with a two-out, two-run single through the left side of the infield that plated Bobbitt and Lauren Hunt.
 
Neither team mounted much of a threat until the ninth, when a one-out rally saw a walk and single set up Robinson's walk-off homer to right center.
 
Reagan Watkins started the game for JSU and settled down after the three-run first. She held EKU to the three runs on five hits and nine strikeouts over eight innings in the circle. Junior Lexi Androlevich (0-3) suffered the loss in relief. She pitched the ninth, surrendering three runs on two hits and a walk.
 
Tori Peterson (6-0) earned the win after a solid relief performance for EKU, tossing the final 4 and 1/3 innings and allowing no runs on just one hit while striking out four. Mollie Paulick started and allowed three runs on three hits and a walk in four innings of work.
 
Savannah Sudduth was 2-for-3, while Terry drove in three to lead JSU. Ariyana Miranda was 3-for-5 to lead EKU at the plate.
 
In the second game of the day, the Colonels struck early and didn't let up, scoring two in the first, four in the second, three in the third and four in the fourth innings.
 
Terry produced for JSU again, homering in the fifth after her fly ball scored a run in the third. Sudduth was 2-for-3 again in the second game.
 
Robinson homered again for EKU, who used 11 hits and seven walks to account for its 13 runs.
 
Nicole Rodriguez (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing six runs, only two earned, on three hits and four walks in a 58-pitch first inning. She struck out the side in the inning. Alexus Jimmerson gave up the other seven on seven hits and two walks in 2 and 1/3 innings in the circle, while Hannah Brown recorded the other two outs.
 
Peterson earned her second win of the day for EKU, allowing three runs, one earned, on four hits in three innings of work. Samantha Reynoso tossed the final two innings, allowing a run on three hits.
 
The two teams will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.