MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Just one day removed from an 11-hit showing, Jax State tallied 14 hits, including four homers for a 12-2 run-rule win over Middle Tennessee on Friday. The Gamecocks evened the series at one apiece with the win.
 
Jax State (29, 11-9 CUSA) took its first lead behind a Jaci Underwood homer and never relinquished the lead to Middle Tennessee (22-23, 10-10 CUSA).
 
Underwood's first inning home run came in three-run fashion with two outs in the inning, giving MacKinley Portillo an early lead to work with in the circle.
 
Portillo managed 5.0 innings, allowing just two runs, two hits and two walks while striking out five batters on the way to earning her seventh victory of the season.
 
Morgan Nowakowski added onto the lead in the second frame, slugging a two-run double to give the Gamecocks a 5-0 advantage. 
 
MTSU followed up by scoring its only two runs of the evening in the bottom of the third inning.
 
Underwood launched her second homer of the game and fifth of the season to lead off a big fifth inning for Jax State. Haleigh Cushingberry then singled back up the middle, scoring two more Gamecock runners.
 
Nowakowski and Makalyn Kyser put the game out of reach, capping off a seven run fifth inning with two-run homers and giving Jax State a dominant 12-2 win.
 
Underwood drove in four runners, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Nowakowski and Cushingberry were two of four Gamecock batters to clock out with two hits, joining Kailey Martin and Amber Reed.
 
After going 3-for-3 in Thursday's opener, Reed is now 5-for-6 with two doubles, four RBI's and a walk in two contests against Middle Tennessee.
 
With four home runs as a team in Friday's game, Jax State set a new season high. The Gamecocks had previously hit two home runs 11 times this season.
 
Six Gamecocks have managed at least three total hits so far in the weekend series against the Blue Raiders.
 
Jax State and Middle Tennessee will meet on Saturday, April 19 for the series finale at noon.
  
Admission to all Jax State Softball games is free courtesy of Martin's Family Clothing.