MIAMI — Jax State softball picked up its second and third victories over the FIU Panthers on Saturday afternoon, along with tallying its third consecutive series sweep in Conference USA play and tenth straight conference win in the process.
The Gamecocks (26-10, 11-1 CUSA) put together a pair of solid performances at Felsberg Field during the afternoon, winning the first game 3-1 and then following that performance with a 7-4 win that saw 11 hits from head coach
Julie Boland's squad.
Jax State had no shortage of stellar performances on Saturday, both at the plate and in the circle. Continuing to keep the bats hot, junior
Amber Reed extended her hit streak to eight games, along with furthering her reached base streak to 13, meanwhile the Gamecocks' pitching staff held the Panthers to five runs across two games.
Finding a spark at the dish for Jax State was
Aria Davis who hit a combined 3-for-6 across both games, along with tallying an RBI in each contest. Throughout the series, Davis tallied four hits and four RBIs, highlighted by a home run in the first and second games of the weekend.
In game one, it was a pitcher's duel between both squads with
Jaliyah Holmes throwing for the Gamecocks and Brooke McNichols dealing for the Panthers. In total, both teams combined for just eight hits after compiling 15 total hits in Friday night's contest.
After neither team could muster a run in the first inning, Davis broke the scoreless tie with a solo home run out to left field for her second consecutive home run in two games. After not having a homer previously this season, Davis picked up the first two of her sophomore year in less than 24 hours of each other.
From there, Jax State had the early momentum and piled on in the third inning after a sacrifice fly from
Morgan Nowakowski to bring home one, and then a single by
Kailey Martin to bring home another and put the Gamecocks ahead 3-0.
FIU fired back in the fourth after getting a runner on third with no outs, capitalized by an RBI grounder to second base for the Panthers first and only score of the game.
Elrod led Jax State at the plate in game one, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Reed, Martin and Davis were responsible for the team's remaining three hits.
In the circle, Holmes pitched a complete game, allowing just one run off three hits and two walks, along with picking up three strikeouts as well.
Jax State was off and running in game one, scoring the first run of the game in the opening frame, via an RBI single by
Amber Reed. However, FIU fired back with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to make it a 2-1 game.
The Panthers' lead did not last long though, as the Gamecocks scored five runs across the second and third innings to increase the lead even further. FIU wasn't done yet in the scoring category, after plating one in the sixth before Davis responded with an RBI single in the top of the seventh for Jax State to make it a four-run game.
With a final chance to mount a late comeback, FIU had a bases loaded opportunity with one out, but freshman
Makenna Moore was able to retire the Panthers' final two batters to secure the win.
Kailey Martin led Jax State at the dish, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run scored. The performance was Martin's fifth three-hit game of her sophomore season. Additionally, Davis and Reed picked up two hits apiece, while four other Gamecocks tallied one hit each.
MacKinley Portillo picked up her fifth win of the season in the matchup, allowing four runs off three hits and three walks, along with Moore picking up the first save of her collegiate career.
Jax State returns home next week, taking on the Alabama State Hornets at Jana McGinnis Field on Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m.
