AUBURN – Jacksonville State held the No. 21 team in the nation in check on Wednesday night, but the Auburn Tigers used two home runs to score a 3-0 victory over JSU at Jane B. Moore Field.
 
The Gamecocks rotated a quarter of pitchers in the circle throughout the night to avoid straining anyone heading into a weekend road series in the ASUN Conference. Freshman Jaliyah Holmes started and went two innings, ultimately taking the loss after AU's Bri Ellis lifted a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Fellow freshman Jordan Eslinger followed Holmes entering in the third frame and proceeded to strike out four Tigers in two innings. Starting the fifth, AU struck for another long ball to run the score to 3-0, which set the stage for sophomore Kat Carter's one and a third inning of work. Despite a bases loaded situation, Carter got out of trouble without allowing additional runs.
 
To close the game, senior Hannah Brown recorded the final out for JSU.
 
Both sides left five runners on base, and the Gamecocks' four hits were just shy of AU's six for the night. In one of their better chances, Holly Stewart was stranded at second following her one-out double in the fourth. Senior Lauren Hunt finished 2-for-3 at the plate continuing her hot stretch at the top of the order.
 
Jax State returns to Jacksonville briefly before heading off to Richmond, Ky., for a three-game series with Eastern Kentucky starting on Saturday.