Tiffany
Harbin tossed a no-hitter to start the day for the Jacksonville State
softball team and set the tone for a dominant day in the circle and a
doubleheader sweep of Tennessee State in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for
both teams.
Harbin allowed just three baserunners in throwing the fourth no-no of her
career to lift the Gamecocks (15-10, 2-0 OVC) to an 8-0 win in the first game
of the day and then Hilary
Phillips allowed just one unearned run to the Tigers (9-18, 0-2 OVC)
in a complete-game 5-1 win in the day's finale.
Harbin, a native of Hazel Green, Ala., didn't allow a ball out of the infield
until a pair of fourth-inning fly outs and saw just three balls get past the infield
in the game. She tossed her second shutout of the season in her seventh
complete game. She struck out four and walked three to improve to 8-4 on the
year and led JSU to a win in its conference opener for the third-straight year
and the seventh time in its nine years in the OVC.
She got plenty of offense in the win and got it early. The Gamecocks staked her
to a 5-0 lead in the first, an inning that saw them double three times. Junior Kalee
Tabor got it started with a two-run single, and the senior Kelci
Johnston followed with a two-run double that set up an RBI double
from freshman Cadi
Oliver. Sophomore Sara
Borders also doubled and scored in the inning.
Oliver and Borders used those first inning doubles to spark big days at
the plate for JSU. Oliver, a native of Sumiton, Ala., went 4-for-6 with a home
run on the day, while Borders, a native of Alexandria, Ala., doubled twice in
her 4-for-7 afternoon.
The Gamecocks grabbed two more runs in the third on a two-run single from Ruth,
an inning that was set up by a leadoff hit by Oliver. Johnston drove in the
eighth and final run of the game in the sixth with a sac fly that plated
Borders and ended the game via the mercy rule.
Olivia Gamache (3-9) suffered the loss for TSU in the first game after allowing
eight runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings in the circle. She struck out three and
walked three.
Oliver went 3-for-3 at the plate in the first game.
In the nightcap, JSU got to TSU ace Shea Morris in the second inning with a
three-run frame that was sparked by a leadoff home run from Oliver. The
freshman's third home run of the year came on a 1-2 pitch after she fouled off
three-straight pitches before bouncing one off of the bottom of the scoreboard
beyond the left field wall.
The Tigers then committed a pair of errors in the field that allowed two more
runs to score, the last on Borders' second double of the day.
Two more scored in the fourth after sophomore Savannah
Sloan drew a bases loaded hit by pitch, setting up a ground ball from
Johnston that scored another to give Phillips a 5-0 lead.
Phillips struck out five TSU batters in her first complete game of the season,
one that saw her allow one unearned run on five hits in seven innings. She did
walk three and hit a batter in improving to 4-2 on the year.
Morris (6-9) was tagged with the loss for TSU and left the game with two outs
in the sixth after being checked on by the team trainer. She gave up five runs
on seven hits in 5.2 innings, while striking out three and walking three.
The two teams will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at
University Field.
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