BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – For the first time since 2019, Jax State is heading to a conference title game, this time as members of Conference USA. The Gamecocks knocked off the No. 1 Liberty Flames 7-2 behind a trio of homers and a dominant outing from
Kat Carter.
With a win, Jax State (37-20) advances to the Conference USA Championship game on Saturday, May 10 at noon. Jax State will square off with one of No. 1 Liberty, No. 2 Western Kentucky or No. 4 Louisiana Tech on CBS Sports Network with an automatic bid to an NCAA Regional on the line.
Carter earned the start for Jax State after tossing 3.0 innings of relief for the Gamecocks on Thursday and picked up right where she left off, picking up a pair of scoreless frames to begin the contest.
Jax State looked to open up the scoring in the third inning when
Haleigh Cushingberry and
Emma Elrod each reached base to start off the inning. Sophomore
Amber Reed then launched a three-run homer to put the Gamecocks on the board with a 3-0 lead.
Emma Elrod and
Makalyn Kyser each put solo homers on the board in the fourth and fifth respectively, extending the Gamecock lead to 5-0. The pair have now combined for five home runs in the last three games.
Carter then tossed her fifth straight scoreless inning in the bottom of the fifth, escaping a jam by striking out Conference USA Player of the Year, Rachel Roupe.
Morgan Nowakowski pushed another Jax State run across with a sacrifice bunt before Reed tacked on her fourth RBI of the game in the following plate appearance.
Liberty managed their only two runs of the game on a two-run double in the sixth before Carter shut down the Flames offense in the seventh.
With three more home runs in Friday's game, Jax State has now hit 11 home runs in the last four games. It took the first 15 games for Jax State to reach 11 total home runs on the season.
Kyser has hit a home run in four consecutive contests, including all three of the Conference USA Championship contests.
Kyser is 4-for-6 with three home runs, four walks and five RBI's so far in the CUSA Tournament. She is slashing .667/.800/2.167 across the three contests.
The Gamecocks have now tallied 37 wins, the most wins since the 2017 Jax State team that finished 41-12 and played in the Tallahassee Regional.
Jax State will advance to the Conference USA Championship game on Saturday at noon. The Gamecocks' opponent will be decided following the remainder of Friday's CUSA Tournament games.
