JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State cemented a perfect 3-0 weekend sweep to begin ASUN Conference play on Sunday with an 8-4 win over visiting North Alabama.
The Lions (17-6, 0-3 ASUN) were handed as many losses over the past two days by JSU as they had all season leading into the weekend. For JSU (15-9, 3-0 ASUN), it marks the first opening weekend sweep of conference play since taking three games against Tennessee Tech in 2016 to begin what turned into a historic 26-0 run through the Ohio Valley Conference.
Following a couple of shutout performances her last two outings, freshman
Jaliyah Holmes returned to the circle to start Sunday, but exited ahead of schedule after UNA built a rally in the third. Sophomore
Sarah Currie entered in relief and settled things down allowing just three hits and no runs across the final five frames to earn the win and improved to 4-2on the season.
A first inning run for the Lions was the first run earned off Holmes in her last three games going back to Tennessee to start the month. But JSU answered early and often beginning with freshman
Linley Tubbs' RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first that plated
Ashley Phillips for the tying run. Two batters later,
Morgan Nowakowski drove her second double of the year to the gap in right to score two more and Jax led 3-1 before returning to the field in the second.
The Gamecocks quickly padded the margin the following inning with four runs off a RBI shot from Phillips and a three-run homer by Tubbs. In addition to her team-leading fourth and fifth home runs of the season, the Jasper, Ala., freshman, finished with three extra-base hits, seven RBI and drew a pair of walks in her first full weekend of league play.
With a 7-1 advantage in the third, Holmes saw a leadoff triple signal UNA's first rally of the day. Another single followed by a two-run home runs brought the Lions back into it without any outs to open the frame. That's when Jax State turned the ball over to Currie, who walked a couple to get in a quick jam, but a pop foul behind the plate ended the threat with the bases loaded.
After a leadoff hit to begin the fourth, Currie retired the next eight batters she faced in a row and 12 of the final 13 on her way to the win.
Jax State steps back out of conference play for a single game at Alabama State at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Montgomery, before hitting the road for a three-game series at Bellarmine next weekend.
