JACKSONVILLE – Freshman Jaliyah Holmes took to the circle Saturday for Jacksonville State to become the third pitcher to open the season tossing a complete game as JSU took down the Army Black Knights, 11-3.
 
Jax State (3-0) made it three=straight wins at University Field to open the season after unexpectedly hosting the opening weekend due to weather. Saturday's contest was a rematch against the Black Knights (2-2), who JSU managed to defeat 7-2 a day earlier.  
 
The Gamecocks put the first run on the board in the bottom of the first when Morgan Nowakowski worked an 0-2 count all the way back to earn a bases-loaded walk that brought Emma Jones home from third. The Knights opened the door further in the third on a throwing error that allowed Sidney Wagnon to score on hit off the bat of Emma Jones. Jones then scored herself on infield hit by Lauren Hunt that got away from the Black Knights for a 3-0 advantage.
 
Army struck for two in the third, finally getting anything off Homes, with a two-run shot to make it 3-2. They would put the tying and go-ahead runs on base, but a strikeout for Holmes ended the threat and the top of the inning.
 
The Gamecocks quickly answered in the home half of the frame with a pinch-hit, two-run homer by freshman Linley Tubbs to reclaim the three-run cushion. Nowakowski scored on Tubbs' deep ball in the third, and came around to score again one inning later when Abbi Perkins unleashed a three-run homerun to power Jax State out to a 9-2 advantage. Wagnon scored again on another infield hit from Hunt that was tossed away before Army made it out of the inning down eight.
 
The Black Knights managed to tag Holmes for one more run in the top of the fifth with a two-out hit up the middle to extended the game at least one more half inning.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, freshman Ashley Phillips continued her hot start to the season with a leadoff walk, stole second, and advanced to third on passed ball to quickly put JSU in position to walk-off the Black Knights. That moment came two batters late when Holly Stewart sent a deep sac fly to right allowing Phillips to head home for the winning run.
 
JSU wraps up the opening weekend of action Sunday morning against Buffalo, seeking a clean 4-0 start to its 2023 campaign.