BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Jacksonville State softball team jumped out to leads and held on in both games of Friday's WKU Hilltopper Classic, claiming wins over Central Michigan and Illinois State.
The Gamecocks (8-3) staved off a CMU comeback in the first game of the day, grabbing a 7-5 win over the Chippewas before winning a 6-3 decision over the Cardinals in their final game of the day.
In the opener, Jax State answered a two-run second by CMU with a huge fourth-inning of its own. Seven runs scored on four hits, an error and four walks and gave the Gamecocks at five-run lead.
The big inning started with a walk to
Lindsey Richardson and saw Jax State load the bases after a
Brantly Bonds walk and a
Hannah Buffington single.
Sidney Wagnon tied the game with a two-run single up the middle.
Linley Tubbs followed an
Abbi Perkins walk with an RBI single through the right side that put the Gamecocks on top for the first time on Friday.
Emma Jones extended the lead with a two-run grounder to first, while
Holly Stewart put the final two runs on the board with her to-out, two-run single into left.
Gamecock starter
Kat Carter held the Chippewas at bay until the seventh, when they mounted a rally and forced head coach
Jana McGinnis to go to the bullpen and freshman
Jaliyah Holmes. She entered the circle with a two-run lead and a runner at third and, after a walk to Skylar Coberly, forced Kelsey Alexander to pop up to the catcher to end the game and hand Holmes her first career save.
Carter (4-0) earned the win after limiting CMU to five runs, three earned, on nine hits in 6 and 2/3 innings in the circle. She walked a pair and struck out three.
Grace Letho (1-2 suffered the loss for the Chippewas after surrendering seven runs, five earned, on four hits and five walks in 3 and 2/3 innings. Madelyn Wallace pitched the final 3 and 1/3 innings, holding the Gamecocks scoreless on two hits.
The Gamecocks scattered six singles amongst six players, with Jones, Wagnon and Stewart driving in two runs, apiece.
In the second game of the day, Jax State jumped out to a six-run lead by the fourth inning, thanks to a pair in the third and a four-run fourth.
The third saw the Gamecocks jump out to a 2-0 advantage on Stewart's two-run single that scored Jones and
Lauren Hunt. Jones broke the game open in the fourth with her three-run, bases-clearing triple to right and then scored on an RBI bunt single from Hunt.
ISU got two back in the home half of the fourth on a homer from Jayden Standish and then cut its deficit to 6-3 in the fifth on an Abby Knight sac fly to left.
Holmes (2-1) started the game and earned the win after allowing three runs on six hits in five innings in the circle. She struck out six and only issued one walk before
Sarah Currie came on to pitch the final two frames. Currie grabbed her first save of the season after limiting the Cardinals to just two hits, while striking out two.
Jones' three RBI led the Gamecocks, while Stewart added a pair of RBI and tied Hunt with a team-best two hits in the win.
The Gamecocks will continue play in the Hilltopper Classic on Saturday, when they face Illinois State against at 10 a.m. before talking on host WKU at 3 p.m.
