JACKSONVILLE – The freshman duo of
Kat Carter and
Sarah Currie each threw shutouts for the Jacksonville State softball team on Saturday, leading the Gamecocks a doubleheader sweep of Eastern Kentucky.
Carter tossed a three-hit shutout to lead the Gamecocks (22-15, 6-5 ASUN Conference) to a 6-0 win in the first game before Currie one-hit the Colonels (7-27, 3-8 ASUN) in a 7-0 win in game two. It marked the first time JSU has shut out a team twice in a doubleheader since 2017, when it shut out EKU twice on April 30.
While JSU's pitchers were putting zeroes on the scoreboard, the Gamecocks' bats were going to work. They combined for 13 runs and 18 hits, generating offense without hitting the ball out of the park. Jax State had just three extra-base hits and only struck out three total times on the day.
In the opening game, Carter (11-8) limited the Colonels to three singles in her fifth shutout of the season and her 15
thcomplete game in 19 starts in the circle. The Spring Hill, Tenn., native struck out seven colonel batters and walked just two in a game that saw her take a one-hitter into the seventh.
She got a three-run first inning and a three-run third inning to provide more than enough run support. Back-to-back RBI singles in the first – a two-run grounder through the left side by
Megan Fortner and a one-run hit near the same spot to put the three-run lead on the board.
The three-run third featured an RBI double from
Camryn McLemore that scored
Karsen Mosley and a two-run single from
Brantly Bonds that plated McLemore and
Lindsey Richardson.
Richardson and Mosley each had two hits to lead the JSU offense, while Bonds and Fortner each had a pair of RBI.
Samantha Reynoso (2-12) suffered the loss for EKU in the circle, giving up six runs, five earned, on eight hits in six innings of work. She struck out two and didn't issue a walk.
Currie (9-4) was dominant in her one-hit shutout, allowing a two-out hit from Maggie Pertee in the fourth inning but stranding the runner at third. She struck out eight Colonels and walked just two in her second career shutout and her 11
th complete game in 13 starts.
She got all of her run support in the first inning, when the Gamecocks sent 12 batters to the plate before scoring seven runs on six hits, a walk and two EKU errors.
A one-out Mosley double started the inning, while the scoring started when Richardson singled in Mosley to put JSU up 1-0.
McLemore answered with an RBI single and then
Abbi Perkins made it a 3-0 JSU lead on her sac fly. JSU then got RBI singles from
Sidney Wagnon, Bonds and
Savannah Sudduth to take a 7-0 lead before EKU got out of the first inning.
Starter Kaitlyn Young (1-3) recorded just one out before surrendering five runs on three hits and two walks and getting chased from the circle. Lauren Narvaez pitched the final 5 and 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.
Richardson, Wagnon and
Keeli Bobbitt each had two hits in the win.
JSU and EKU will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at University Field. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
