RICHMOND, Ky. – Jacksonville State split Saturday's doubleheader action against longtime conference foe Eastern Kentucky, setting up a Sunday finale to decide the series.
The Gamecocks (27-15, 13-4 ASUN) took the opening game, 6-3, before dropping a wild 16-10 marathon in the follow-up tilt.
Senior
Brantly Bonds started the day with her first home run of the season to set Jax State to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. The Colonels (24-20, 6-11 ASUN) responded with the first of six homers of the own for the day to even things up in the bottom of the frame. The next inning,
Holly Stewart drove in
Lauren Hunt for the go-ahead run from third on a fielder's choice that ended with
Linley Tubbs getting drilled by in the baseline by EKU's throw to first.
A two-out rally in the fifth saw a 2-RBI shot from
Morgan Nowakowski, followed by a single from Perkins to score Nowakowski to grab a 6-2 advantage. EKU added a lone run in the Vianna Barron's solo homer, but freshman
Jaliyah Holmes finisher her complete game with four strikeouts and 98 pitches in the 6-3 victory.
Barron's late-inning power in game one carried over into the afternoon where she blasted two more longballs for EKU. Her first off
Sarah Currie in the first, staked the Colonels to a 2-1 lead. After Jax State went back ahead, Barron tagged
Kat Carter for a three-run shot in the fifth to tie the game at 10-10. Along with Barron, EKU's Lou Bowers had a two-homer game, following Barron in the first to make it 4-1 and chase Currie from the circle early. She followed Barron again in the fifth for a 2-run drive that pushed the Colonels to the lead for good.
Lindsey Richardson was 2-for-4 with four RBI in the second contest, while Hunt, Bonds, Nowakowski and Perkins each drove in runs as well in a strong offensive showing.
Hannah Buffington entered in a bases-loaded situation and drew a walk for an RBI on no official at-bat.
However, the Colonels had just as powerful of an offensive attack, solving all four Gamecocks pitchers that worked to keep them off the bases. Jordan Eslinder and
Hannah Brown combined for 1.1 innings, the same as Currie went from the onset. Carter had success in silencing the EKU bats momentarily, but ultimately gave up five runs in her three-plus frames.
The two teams will break the deadlock Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET/ noon Central. Due to JSU's split and Liberty falling twice to Central Arkansas, the Gamecocks hold sole possession of second place in the ASUN standings.
