FORT MYERS, Fla. –
Sarah Currie tossed a four-hit shutout and
Camryn McLemore homered to lift the Jacksonville State softball team to a 1-0 win the nightcap and a doubleheader split at Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday.
Currie, a freshman from Lawrenceville, Ga., struck out five and needed just 98 pitches to dispose of the Eagles (12-22, 5-6 ASUN Conference) in the second game of the day, following a 5-2 loss in eight innings by the Gamecocks (20-14, 4-4 ASUN) in the opener.
McLemore gave Currie (8-3) an early lead in the finale and the JSU starting pitcher never looked back. She only allowed two runners past first base in her first career shutout and her ninth complete game in 11 starts this season. She faced just 25 batters to set the Gamecocks up with a chance to take the three-game series in Sunday's finale at 12 p.m. CT.
McLemore's fourth homer of the season came on a 3-0 pitch from FGCU starter Riley Oakes with one out in the first. It would be the only run to cross in the pitchers' duel between Currie and three Eagle hurlers.
Oakes (2-6) suffered the loss after allowing just a run on five hits in 5 and 1/3 innings in the circle. She struck out one and walked a pair before being relieved. Daelynn Eatmon threw a hitless inning, while Emily Estroff got two outs without allowing a hit.
Megan Fortner had two of JSU's five hits, including a double, while
Sidney Wagnon and
Keeli Bobbitt each had a hit.
In the opener, the Eagles struck in the first, when McKenna Batterton hit a solo homer that put them up by a run. JSU strung together a little offense to take its first lead of the day. Bobbitt drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a wild pitch, setting up an RBI single from McLemore that tied the game. Fortner followed with a two-out double into the gap in right center that put JSU up, 2-1.
Cana Davis tied the game with a solo home run in the fifth, and Reedy Davenport won the game with a two-out, three-run walk-off homer in the home half of the eighth.
Ally Hulme (8-9) went the distance for FGCU and eanred the win after allowing two runs on five hits and three walks in eight frames. She struck out five.
Freshman
Kat Carter (10-8) suffered the loss after surrendering five runs on nine hits and two walks in 7 and 2/3 innings of work. She struck out three.
