JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — The Jax State softball clinched its first Conference USA regular season title in program history after hitting five home runs across four different batters in a 12-4 win in five innings over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (19-28, 5-18 CUSA) on Saturday afternoon at Jana McGinnis Field.
The Gamecocks will now hold the No. 1 seed in the Conference USA softball tournament in two weeks, beginning on Tuesday, May 5, in Newark, Del.
Jax State (39-12, 21-2 CUSA) homered in all but one inning, accounting for five of the team's 10 hits throughout the day, with sophomore first baseman
Kailey Martin leading the charge with a pair of long balls for herself.
The Blue Raiders threw the first punch of the day with a solo home run in the second inning, but Jax State quickly retaliated, via a three-run home run by
Makalyn Kyser and an RBI double by
Morgan Nowakowski soon after. Kyser's home run was her fifth round-tripper and 19
th RBI in the last six games and Nowakowski's double was her 22
nd of the season, which leads Division I.
Middle Tennessee managed to tie everything up at four runs apiece in the third frame, following a pair of RBI doubles, along with a scoring single. However, the Gamecocks were not phased as
Ashley Phillips proceeded to blast a two-run home run over the left field wall to claim a 6-4 lead.
The home run party continued over into the fourth inning as well, featuring a three-run shot by
Kailey Martin to extend the lead going into the fifth, in which back-to-back home runs from
Amber Reed and Martin secured the run rule victory in the bottom half of the frame.
Martin was one of five Gamecocks to drive in multiple runs during the contest, including four from Martin and two each from Nowakowski, Reed, Kyser and Phillips. Additionally,
Emma Elrod was the only other batter besides Martin to have two hits.
As a team, Jax State has hit 15 home runs in its last six games, including three straight games with a homer.
Junior pitcher
MacKinley Portillo controlled the circle for the Gamecocks, earning her eighth win of the season after pitching all five innings, allowing four runs off eight hits, along with picking up six strikeouts in the effort as well. In the top of the fifth, Portillo faced the bases loaded with nobody out, but struck out the next two before coaxing an inning-ending groundout.
Jax State will look to complete the series sweep over Middle Tennessee on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m.
