OXFORD –
Alexus Jimmerson hit an eighth-inning grand slam and earned the win in the circle to lift the Jacksonville State softball team to an 8-4 win over Austin Peay and help the Gamecocks advance in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Choccolocco Park.
Jimmerson, a senior from Jackson, Tenn., was 1-for-4 in the game, but her hit was the biggest one of the game. The blast was her fifth hit against the third-seeded Governors (27-16) in 2021, all of which were home runs. She hit four in the Gamecocks (24-24) series vs. APSU earlier in the season.
She also tossed 4 and 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win and improve to 5-4 on the season. She limited the Govs to a run on three hits and struck out three in the circle.
She and the Gamecocks advance to a 6 p.m. elimination game with top-seeded Southeast Missouri, second-seeded Eastern Kentucky awaiting the winner in Saturday's Championship Game.
The Gamecocks wasted no time getting on the board against the Govs, thanks to a long solo blast from freshman
Shelby Newsome in the top of the first. The Hatchechubbee, native deposited Harley Mullins' 0-1 pitch into the parking lot beyond the berm behind the left field wall and gave JSU its first lead of the tournament.
The Govs tied the game in the third, plating an unearned run on a Kendyl Weinzapfel RBI single into center, but the Gamecocks had a quick answer.
In the top of the fourth,
Megan Fortner's leadoff double sparked a three-run frame that gave JSU a 4-1 lead.
Sidney Wagnon reached on a bunt single and then scored with Fortner on
Chaney Phillips' double into the left field corner.
Jada Terry then drove in Phillips from second to put JSU up by three.
Austin Peay cut into the lead in the Govs half of the fourth, scoring a run on Brooke Pfefferle's sac fly and another when Bailey Shorter's bloop single to left cut JSU's lead to 4-3.
Pfefferle tied the game in the fifth with an RBI single to left, and Terry kept the score tied by throwing out Emily Moore at the plate to end the inning.
The score remained tied until the eighth, when Jimmerson delivered her game winning blow.
Caroline Lively walked and Bobbitt and Newsome singled to load the bases, and Jimmerson lifted Jordan Benefiel's first pitch deep into the parking lot beyond the right field wall.
The blast was Jimmerson's fifth home run against Austin Peay this season and gave herself the four-run lead in extras.
Kelsey Gross (9-3) suffered the loss in the circle, allowing three runs on three hits and three walks in 4 and 1/3 innings of relief work.
