JACKSONVILLE – Jax State stumbled on the final day of the 2024 Cocky Classic, suffering setbacks to Southern Indiana and Belmont to close out the weekend at
Jana McGinnis Field.
The Gamecocks (5-11) won the first three games of the weekend, including a 12-4 victory USI on Saturday morning. On Sunday, the Screaming Eagles of the Ohio Valley Conference bounced back to edge Jax State, 5-4, before Belmont disrupted the afternoon with an 8-3 defeat of the Gamecocks.
After USI took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first,
Amber Reed doubled home
Morgan Nowakowski in the bottom of the second to knot things back up. It was the first of three occasions Jax State tied the game after falling behind.
Lindsey Richardson hit a two-run homer in the third that answered a pair of USI runs in the top half of the inning. The Moody, Ala., brought Jax State back again in the fifth when down a run with a sacrifice fly to center.
USI used back-to-back leadoff bunt singles in the sixth to get runners aboard and ultimate scratch across another run to once again move in front on the scoreboard. This time, Jax State was unable to respond in the sixth of seventh to fall by a final of 5-4.
Against Belmont (8-4), the Bruins longtime Ohio Valley Conference rivals with Jax State – started fast with four runs in the first off freshman starter
Amber Reed. Fellow freshman
MacKinley Portillo entered in relief, but five walks eventually led to three more Bruin runs as Belmont led 8-0 before Jax State managed to cross the plate.
In the fifth, freshman
Emma Elrod, the only Gamecock with multiple hits against Belmont, lined a one-out double to spark the Gamecock bats. Richardson followed with her second career triple on a ball that rattled around the right field fence to make it an 8-1 ballgame.
Ashley Phillips then singled home Richardson and Reed did the same for Phillips for cap a three-run frame.
Sophomore
Jordan Eslinger brought a halt to the Belmont scoring from the circle for the final 2.1 innings, but the Gamecock match its fifth-inning production again getting retired in order in the home half of the sixth.
Despite Sunday's woes, the Gamecocks complete their home tournament with a 3-2 mark overall. Jax State remains at home and will host Alabama at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Admission against the Crimson Tide will be free compliments of Martin's Family Clothing. The Gamecocks encourage fans to participate in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Donation Drive taking place that evening at the field. Jax State's SAAC will be accepting donations for the Gamecock Market which lists cereals, breakfast bars, pasta noodles, razors, shaving cream, crayons, colored pencils and spiral notebooks as just some of their current needs.
More info about the Alabama game and the Jax State SAAC Donation Drive can be found by following Jax State softball on social media by searching "@jaxstatesb."
