JACKSONVILLE – Jax State dropped its first Conference USA series in a month, falling 8-3 to Louisiana Tech in Sunday's rubber match at Jana McGinnis Field.
 
The Gamecocks (18-24, 7-8 CUSA) did not have a great day overall. Junior Kat Carter was saddled with the loss after she ultimately got charged with seven runs by the time the book was closed on her outing in the sixth inning. Jax State saw work from Amber Reed, Mackinley Portillo and Jaliyah Holmes to finish the final two frames.
 
LA Tech (26-12, 9-6 CUSA) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with a first inning home run, and ran the advantage to 5-0 by the third inning capitalizing on a Gamecock error. Ella Pate got a run back in the bottom of the third with a solo home run for her second of the season. Pate, the nine-hole batter on Sunday, was part of a bottom half of the order that carried most of the offensive weight on Sunday.
 
Jax State's top four hitters reached base just twice, while the rest of the rotation had four hits, a walk and hit-by-pitch to find their way to first base. Beside's Pate's third-inning homer, Linley Tubbs lifted her second longball of the season out in the fifth frame to cut the deficit to 5-3.
 
For senior Emma Jones-Hubbard, an 0-3 day brought an end to her 25-game on-base streak which was the second-longest streak by a Gamecock over the last decade since Sara Borders ended her career having reached safely in 40-straight games to close out 2015.
 
The Gamecocks fall to a tie for fifth in the league standings with UTEP, who Jax State took a road series from, with three weekends of action remaining.