DELAND, Fla. – Jacksonville State split a Friday doubleheader at Stetson University, initially extending its league mark to 10-0, before faltering for the first time in the late game of the day.
The Gamecocks (24-10, 10-1 ASUN) ran its overall winning streak to 13 following a 7-3 victory to open the day over the Hatters (21-18, 5-6 ASUN). However, unlucky 13, which briefly rose to the fourth longest streak in the nation, brought misfortunes soon after, stumbling JSU to a 6-0 setback in game two.
Freshman
Jaliyah Holmes picked up her 12 th win of the season in the circle in the early matchup, allowing just four hits and no runs deep into the final frame before the Hatters scratched across late. The Gamecocks pulled out to a 7-0 lead on a trio of deep homers from sluggers
Lindsey Richardson,
Holly Stewart and
Abbi Perkins.
Perkins opened the scoring with a solo shot to left field for her second home run of the season. An inning late, Stewart sent a ball banging off the scoreboard that brought home Richardson and
Emma Jones for a three-run blast. JSU manufactured a run in the sixth following
Morgan Nowakowski's leadoff single. She would advance to second on a wild pitch, and later take third on an infield hit for Perkins.
Brantly Bonds, who turned a terrific double play early in the game to keep Stetson off the board offensively, sent a sacrifice fly to center to score Nowakowski. Richardson topped off JSU's runs with a massive shot to left in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 7-0. In the home half, Stetson rallied with two outs and managed to plate three runs and dent Holmes' strong efforts.
For as strong as JSU looked in game one, things did not repeat in the second contest as the Hatters carried momentum into the following seven frames. Between doubleheader action, JSU hit .231 as a team and left 10 runners on base.
Sophomore
Sarah Currie was hit well for the first time in conference play on Friday after allowing just one run in her first 18 ASUN innings to start. Stetson tagged her for two in the second inning, and another pair on a two-run home run early in the third to end her day. The Gamecocks turned to freshman
Jordan Eslinger, who has been a reliable reliever for 21 innings through the first half of the season.
Eslinger seemingly settled things down, striking out her first batter, but strike three was negated by an illegal pitch. She then forced a groundout to short, which was also negated on an illegal pitch call which forced head coach
Jana McGinnis to question the third-base umpire for the second-straight pitch. Following a short exchange, the Gamecocks' McGinnis was shown the exit by the officiating crew. Eslinger's next pitch, a ball that remained fine, drew a Hatter walk. The freshman then registered two more illegal calls forcing acting coach
Julie Boland to make a third pitching change in three batters with Eslinger's consistent motion being regularly overturned.
Kat Carter would enter and finish the final 3.2 innings of the game.
Carter got out of the rocky third without further damage, but a troublesome fourth with a series of walks and a hit batter allowed two more Hatters to cross the plate for a 6-0 advantage.
Camryn McLemore got a leadoff single to start the fifth, but JSU was held hitless from there through the final three innings. The shutout loss was first for Jax State in more than a month since a 2-0 loss at No. 4 Tennessee on March 5.
The rubber match game of the series on Saturday is set for 1 p.m. ET/12 CT. JSU remains at least tied for first-place in the ASUN, and potentially could hold its one0game lead as Central Arkansas plays Friday evening.
