HUNTSVILLE/MADISON – Jax State snapped No. 17 Mississippi State's 11-game winning streak in a 3-0 shutout to begin the final day of the Rocket City Softball Showdown, before pushing No. 23 Auburn to the brink in a 3-2 setback.
The win over the 17th-ranked Bulldogs was the first for Jax State against a ranked opponent since eliminating No. 15 Auburn from the 2018 Tallahassee Regional. Coincidentally, the Tigers happened be next of the schedule as the Gamecocks (9-5) made their way from UAH's Charger Park to Toyota Field.
Two days removed from a career-high 14-strikeout performance against James Madison, senior
Kat Carter tossed another gem registering seven K's in a four-hit shutout of MSU.
Jax State made the most of their lone chance when MSU opened the door in the fourth frame.
Amber Reed reached first to lead off the inning courtesy of a hit-by-pitch. She moved to second on freshman
Kailey Martin's sac-bunt and eventually reached third when
Ashley Phillips made it safely to first base on a Bulldog throwing error.
Phillips would join Reed in scoring position stealing second base just before
Abbi Perkins delivered her clutch 2-out, 2-RBI hit to put the Gamecocks on the scoreboard. Not out of the inning yet, freshman
Aria Davis reached safely on MSU's second mishandled ball of the inning, which simultaneously allowed Perkins to come home for a 3-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs threatened in the final frames leading off with a double in the sixth, only for Carter to notch back-to-back strikeouts. In the seventh, MSU saw the tying run reach base and the winning run step to the plate before Davis fielded a grounded and flipped to Phillips at second for the final out.
A few hours later the Gamecocks were right back in another battle with No. 23 Auburn at the home of Minor League Baseball's Rocket City Trash Pandas.
Junior starter
Jaliyah Holmes picked up where Carter left cruising through the Tiger lineup with nine up and nine down through three innings.
Megan Rasmussen, inserted into the starting lineup after subbing into the lineup to pitch-hit and play defense against MSU, drew a walk to begin the top of the fourth inning for Jax State. After a couple of outs, Rasmussen advanced to second on a wild pitch, putting her in position to sprint home on Perkins' shallow shot to left field with two outs. A bobble in the outfield opened the door for Perkins to take second base, where she would later score from a double by
Aria Davis.
The Tigers finally broke through with a two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. It marked the first run allowed by Carter or Holmes through 11 innings against ranked Southeastern Conference foes on Sunday.
The momentum slowly built with another run in the sixth to tie the contest at 2-2. Jax State was in position to grab a seventh-inning lead with two baserunners aboard, but a liner right back to Auburn's pitcher turned into an inning-ending double play.
AU used a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh to set the table for a game-winning hit two batters later. AU's walkoff was the first time Jax State trailed in 14 innings.
Holmes suffered the tough loss after allowing just five hits and striking out four.
After 14 on the road to start the season, Jax State returns to Jacksonville for its home opener on Wednesday, Feb. 26, against Chattanooga at Jana McGinnis Field.
