JACKSONVILLE – New name, same Gamecocks. On a day that opened with the renaming of Jax State's softball home to
Jana McGinnis Field, the Gamecocks did as they have so often in the past, shutting down visitors in a 4-0 win against Queens.
JSU (26-13, 12-3 ASUN) clinched the weekend series behind freshman
Jaliyah Holmes' second shutout performance in as many days. The Royals' (18-17, 8-7 ASUN) two-time reigning pitcher of the week, Autumn Courtney, suffered a pair of low-scoring losses when matched against Holmes in the first and third games of the series.
Flipping the script from Saturday where the Gamecocks came up empty-handed multiple times with a runner at every base, Holmes gave Queens the bittersweet taste in the second and third innings stranding six Royals.
Following senior
Holly Stewart's important put-out across the diamond to end the top of the third, senior
Sidney Wagnon stepped to the plate and doubled to left to kick-off JSU's first scoring threat. Wagnon moved to third on a groundout for
Emma Jones, but trotted home for the first run of the day on
Lindsey Richardson's deep single to center field.
Queens tried to answer with a leadoff single in the top of the fourth, but
Abbi Perkins quickly cleared the bases when a substitute courtesy runner was caught stealing immediately. Holmes then retired the next five Royal batters leading to the home half of the fifth.
In the fifth,
Lauren Hunt and Richardson reached with singles and advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt from
Linley Tubbs. With
Camryn McLemore in the box as a pinch hitter, a wild pitch allowed Hunt to race home and Richardson move to third. McLemore would eventually draw a walk and be follow by
Morgan Nowakowski who flew out to right to bring Richardson home for a 3-0 lead. After McLemore stole second, the fourth and final run came on a sharply hit ball from
Brantly Bonds that got away from Queens' third baseman allowing McLemore to turn the corner and head home.
With a four-run cushion, Holmes did the rest to earn JSU's 12th league win of the year. She allowed just six hits throughout the day, improving to 14-4 from the circle during her debut season.
Jax State steps away from league action on Wednesday night with a visit to Auburn.
