EL PASO, Texas – Morgan Nowakowski's extra-inning, go-ahead home run was the climax of Jax State's late rally at UTEP Friday afternoon in a 3-2 victory over the Miners.
 
A game UTEP (18-10, 4-4 CUSA) controlled almost from the start turned in an instant after Jax State (13-21, 3-5 CUSA) got down to its final out in the seventh inning. Seniors Emma Jones-Hubbard and Lindsey Richardson tag-teamed back-to-back hits to tie the game. Jones-Hubbard doubled to left sprinting the whole way out of the box. She kicked on the jets again on Richardson's blooper over second base that bounced off the defender's glove and to the ground.
 
Prior to that, the Gamecocks struggled stringing together base hits. Inning-ending double plays wiped away base runners in each of the first two innings. The Miners grabbed their 2-0 lead in the second on a home run ball that followed a dropped third strike that allowed an unnecessary Miner to reach base.
 
Junior starter Sarah Currie was relieved soon after in the second as sophomore Jordan Eslinger took over in the circle. Inheriting a pair of baserunners, Eslinger got out of the inning without further damage and proceeded to toss 5.1 innings of two-hit ball and stymied the UTEP offense. The outing was the second-longest for Eslinger who went 5.2 with eight strikeouts at Alabama State earlier this month.
 
With Eslinger holding the Miners at bay, Jax State remained unable to crack the scoreboard until Kenzie Nicholson's deep drive to center that scored Jones-Hubbard. Unfortunately, the momentum was short lived when UTEP stranded the bases loaded as part of nine Gamecocks left aboard on Friday.
 
Still trailing 2-1 to start the seventh, UTEP made quick work for the first two outs before Jones-Hubbard gave the Gamecocks life with her clutch double. Freshman Megan Rasmussen followed Richardson's game-tying hit to move Richardson to third but UTEP again escaped without giving up the lead.
 
Needing to force extras, Eslinger got the first out of the inning before UTEP loaded the bases on a single and pair of walks. With her back again the wall, Eslinger struck out her final batter for the second out of the inning. Sophomore Jaliyah Holmes came in and punched out the final UTEP batter on just four pitches to send the game to an eighth frame.
 
In the eighth, Nowakowski led off the inning for Jax State lifting a 1-2 pitch over the right-center field fence. The one run - and first lead of the game - was all Holmes needed as she induced a couple of fly balls to Hannah Buffington in left who took care of business to seal the win.
 
The series finale and deciding game of the weekend with take place Saturday morning of Helen of Troy Stadium at 12 p.m. CT/11 MT.