BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Freshman Jaliyah Holmes struck out a career-best nine batters as Jacksonville State held off Central Michigan, 4-2, in the final game of the Hilltopper Classic on the campus of Western Kentucky.
 
The Gamecocks (10-4) rolled to their 10th win of the season in just 14 games, matching the hot start of the 2019 club. Sunday's 4-2 victory was the second of the weekend over the Mid-American Conference Chippewas (3-6).
 
JSU jumped out to a 2-0 start in the top of the first on RBIs from Lindsey Richardson and Ashley Phillips. Phillips would open the day 2-for-2 from the plate helping drive in enough runs for JSU's Holmes take over for her fourth win of the season from the circle.
 
Holmes' only blemish came in the home half of the first, and even it should have been avoided. After retiring the first two Chippewa batters, Holmes got the next to swing on an errant third strike, but the pitch got away behind the plate allowing the batter to reach first. Back-to-back hits from there brought home CMU's only two runs of the day.
 
JSU reclaimed the lead in the third on Phillips' second RBI knock of the game, which scored Lauren Hunt for a 3-2 advantage. With the bases loaded in the following frame, Camryn McLemore drew a 2-out walk that pushed Abbi Perkins across the plate for what would be the final run of the contest.
 
Taking the circle in the bottom of the fourth with a 4-2 lead, Holmes finished her final four frames of work with five strikeouts and just one hit allowed.
 
Jax State wraps up the Hilltopper Classic with a 4-1 weekend mark featuring wins over CMU, Illinois State and host, Western Kentucky. The Gamecocks return to action next weekend in Knoxville, Tenn., at Tennessee's tournament.