JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State softball team finished off a weekend sweep of the visiting Murray State Racers on Saturday with a 1-0 victory to run the Gamecock winning streak to six games.
 
JSU (11-16, 10-7 Ohio Valley Conference) scored its lone run of the afternoon in the bottom of the second on junior Chaney Phillips' single down the left field line that brought home Karsen Mosley. Starting pitcher Reagan Watkins held the Racers (14-19, 11-6 OVC) took care of business through five en route to her fourth win of the season, before running into trouble in the sixth when she was relived by Nicole Rodriguez for her first save of the year.
 
The Gamecocks stranded eight Racers on the bases in Saturday's final tilt between the two squads in a strong defensive effort. Watkins left two on in the first and another in the top of the second, before getting a boost from JSU's offense in the home half.
 
Mosley got things going with one-away in the bottom of the second with a single to left. With Megan Fortner at bat, Mosley took second, and a throwing error by the catcher allowed her to advance to third. Fortner reached on a fielder's choice to second as the Racers threw home to prevent Mosley from scoring. Phillips did the job two pitches later with her single over third.
 
Watkins avoided much trouble in the circle the next three innings with only one hit allowed and two baserunners through the fifth. In the sixth, MSU's Lindsey Carroll and Sierra Gilmore, who combined for four of the Racers' six hits, opened with back-to-back singles. A walk issue to Logan Braundmeier loaded the bases with no outs, and signaled the end of Watkins' day.
 
Rodriguez entered into one-run, bases-loaded jam to shut the door on the Racers' hope for a big inning. The senior from Daphne, Ala., forced a foul pop-out behind third to open the inning, followed by consecutive strikeouts to add three more to MSU's left-on-base total.
 
JSU was unable to ever tack on an insurance run, but Rodriguez wouldn't need it with an easy top of the seven to finish the game with a pop out and two fly outs to center.
 
JSU returns to action on Tuesday, April 6 at 3 p.m. in a non-conference matchup with Middle Tennessee State at University Field.