JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — After a four-game homestand, the Jax State softball team will hit the road once more, traveling south to take on the Auburn Tigers on Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m. at Jane B. Moore Field.
The Gamecocks and the Tigers have faced off 13 times since 2009, with the Tigers leading the all-time series 12-1. Last season, Jax State fell 3-2 to Auburn in its final game of the Rocket City Softball Showcase, after the Tigers mounted a comeback in the final innings.
Jax State (20-8, 5-1) has been red hot throughout the month of March, winning six of its seven games so far this month, which most recently includes a series sweep over Western Kentucky this past weekend.
Throughout the three-game stretch, the Gamecocks outscored the Hilltoppers 16-3 to give Western Kentucky its first three losses of conference play so far and places Jax State as the top team in Conference USA with only one league loss.
Junior
Emma Elrod was the offensive catalyst for Jax State this past weekend, batting .455 through her last three games, picking up a total of five hits, including two doubles, along with a stolen base and three RBIs.
Alongside Elrod was
Kailey Martin who posed as a consistent threat at the plate against Western Kentucky over the weekend. Martin tallied four hits against the Hilltoppers, including a double and her first triple of the season.
In the circle, the Gamecocks' pitching staff put together a very productive weekend as well, which featured a 5-0 shutout win against Western Kentucky on Saturday that came at the hands of
Jaliyah Holmes who pitched all seven innings, only allowing three hits all game.
Jax State currently has six batters hitting .300 or higher so far this season, led by senior
Morgan Nowakowski's .384 average at the plate with her 33 hits on the year. As a result of consistent hitting, the Gamecocks are No. 2 in Conference USA in RBIs this season with 161.
Extra-base hits have continued to be a trend for Jax State through its first 28 games, as it tallied six more doubles against Western Kentucky. The Gamecocks currently lead Conference USA in two-baggers with 57 and are ranked No. 8 in the country.
Auburn (19-10, 2-4 SEC) enters Wednesday's contest as the eighth-place squad in the SEC after being swept by No. 6 Oklahoma on the road last weekend in Norman, giving up a total of 35 runs to the Sooners over the three-game stretch.
The Tigers, however, are a home run threat from top to bottom in the lineup, with 45 homers so far this season which ranks No. 4 in the SEC and No. 10 in the country. Additionally, Auburn boasts a .593 slugging percentage as a team which ranks No. 17 in the country.
Junior Alyssa Hastings and sophomore Kylie Shaw have been Auburn's dynamic duo at the plate so far this season, with both hitters batting over .400. Shaw is the team's leading hitter with 34 base knocks this year, including five doubles and a triple.
Following the midweek contest, Jax State returns home once again to host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for a three-game series at Jana McGinnis Field, starting Friday night at 6 p.m.
