JACKSONVILLE – Jax State brought a 4-game losing skid to a screeching halt on Friday night at University Field in a 7-0 win over Western Michigan behind freshman Jaliyah Holmes' perfect game.
 
Holmes' spectacular performance bumped Jax State to 11-8 on the season, while dropping the visiting Broncos to 5-10. The historical moment on the field marked Jax State's first perfect game since Christine Pierce tosses one against Tennessee State on March 18, 2006.
 
Holmes, a native of Sharpsburg, Ga., struck out eight as she retired 21 Broncos in a row. After struggling to find run support from her offense over the weekend, JSU took care of business Friday with 11 hits and capitalized on a trio of WMU errors.
 
"Getting a win any way possible was our goal for tonight," said head coach Jana McGinnis following the big night. "It's important coming off a rough weekend to taste success and we were able to taste it tonight. It started in the circle with (Jaliyah) and the rest of our game followed her lead."
 
With Holmes consistently shutting down Bronco batter three-at-a-time, JSU didn't strike offensively until the home half of the third when they put up a 3-spot. Emma Jones brought Lauren Hunt home on a ground rule double that popped over the center field fence. Jones then trotted home with Lindsey Richardson after the Moody, Ala., product's team-high third homer of the season.
 
Hunt finished 3-for-3 from the plate, after scoring the game's first run, she later had RBI knocks in the fourth and fifth, with the latter bringing home pinch-runner Sidney Wagnon for a 7-0 lead. Putting a punctuation mark on her perfect night, Holmes rolled through the final two innings striking out four of the final five batters she faced. The target for all 96 of Holmes' pitches was the second-half of the all-freshman battery with Makalyn Kyser behind the plate in her fourth start of the season.
 
JSU returns to University Field on Saturday for a 2:00 contest against Samford, followed by a 5:00 rematch with WMU. Admission is free to all JSU home games this season compliments of Martin's Family Clothing.