Lynchburg, Va. — The Jax State softball team won its first series of Conference USA play for the second straight season on Sunday afternoon against the Liberty Flames. The Gamecocks took advantage of early momentum and held a lead for five innings, defeating the Flames 6-4 on Kamphuis Field.

After splitting the first two games of the series on Friday and Saturday, head coach Julie Boland's squad was looking to make a statement on the road in the rubber match.

The Gamecocks (16-8, 2-1 CUSA) took control of the contest early on, exploding for four runs in the second inning, highlighted by an RBI double by Ashley Phillips for her first of two extra-base hits on the day.

Emma Elrod and Morgan Nowakowski contributed to the scoring effort in the frame as well, after Elrod reached on an error to score Phillips, followed by a two-RBI single by Nowakowski.

Liberty was unable to respond in the bottom half of the frame, and the Gamecocks continued to pile on in the third, featuring a solo home run by Phillips and another RBI single by Nowakowski soon after.

Throughout the weekend, the duo of Phillips and Nowakowski combined for eight hits and 10 RBIs.

However, in the bottom half of the inning, the Flames immediately responded with a two-run homer to cut into the deficit and added another score in the fourth with an RBI double to make it a 6-3 game.

Jax State was unable to put anything else on the board through the fifth and sixth frames, but Liberty was able to add its final run in the bottom of the sixth, via an RBI single into right center.

Once again, Nowakowski and Phillips both put up impressive batting performances to lead the team against the Flames, with Nowakowski going 3-for-3 at the plate with a trio of RBIs and a walk, and Phillips going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, featuring a home run.

As a team, the Gamecocks were walked nine times throughout the contest with Haleigh Cushingberry tallying three free passes for herself.

MacKinley Portillo was able to pick up her fourth win of the season in the third game of the weekend, pushing her season record to 4-4. Portillo allowed two runs on five hits and a walk, along with picking up a strikeout.

Additionally, Jaliyah Holmes entered the game to close in the bottom of the sixth and retired four of the five batters she faced to pick up her first save of the season and the third of her career.

Jax State will be back in action at home for the first time in eight games to take on the Samford Bulldogs at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, for Education Day at Jana McGinnis Field.