NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont softball team (11-16, 2-7 OVC) used hot bats and strong pitching to come away with a split at home against Jacksonville State (19-15, 5-4 OVC) on Saturday. The Bruins were edged 3-2 in game one but rallied in the nightcap for a 7-5 victory in a rain shortened series.
The first two innings saw junior Brittanie Albright (Franklin, Tenn.) put in major work to keep the Gamecocks off the board. In the top of the third with two outs, Jacksonville State was able to pick up its first run of the day. Belmont nearly repeated the feat in the bottom of the same inning behind a double down the right line by freshman Jordan Daly (Humble, Texas) but the following batters were unable to send her home.
In the bottom of the fifth, a pair of walks for junior Kim Johnson (Tucson, Ariz.) and Daly looked like it would be just enough to even the score but they were stranded. In the bottom of the sixth with two outs, the Bruins struck back. Sophomore Kat Hollingsworth (Carrollton, Texas) smashed her seventh homerun of the season to knot the score at 2-2 after also sending classmate Amanda Criscione (Upland, Calif.) over the plate, who had reached on a single.
The Gamecocks came storming back in the top of the seventh, using an opportunity with the bases loaded to score what would become the gamewinner. Belmont was unable to answer back in its half of the same inning and was edged 3-2.
Game two saw the Bruins waste little time to make a statement and tally runs in both the first and second innings. Sophomore
Kirbie Ferrell (Pasadena, Texas) drilled a triple to right to get things started in the first. Junior
Ashley Hammer (Mt, Juliet, Tenn.) reached on a walk to put runners on the corners before the pair notched double steals to score Ferrell and put Belmont on top 1-0. Another single by Ferrell sent senior
Courtney Elrod (Clarksville, Tenn.) over the plate in the second to put BU on top 2-0.
BU exploded in the bottom of the third inning, recording five runs. Hammer and Hollingsworth knocked back-to-back singles before Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A JSU fielding error scored Hollingsworth before freshman Jessica Wilson (Alvin, Texas) sent a single deep up the middle to notch two RBI. Ferrell would send a single almost to the fence that would send two more teammates over the plate, putting the Bruins up 7-0.
Jacksonville State added three runs in the top of the fifth, after going through their entire lineup, including scoring on a throwing error and sending a runner over the plate with bases loaded with the aid of a walk. The Gamecocks trimmed Belmont's lead to just two runs after adding two more runs in the top of the sixth. BU was able to dig in its collective heels on the field and inside the circle to hold on for the 7-5 win, marking its second in OVC play.
For the day, Ferrell batted .571 with a double, a triple and three RBI. Freshman Jordan Day (Humble, Texas) finished batting .500 with a double while Hollingsworth hit .429 with a homerun and two RBI.
Inside the circle, four Bruins saw work. Junior Brittanie Albright (Franklin, Tenn.) and freshman Carolyn Snodgress (Torrance, Calif.) each tallied two strikeouts to lead the pitchers.
Belmont returns to action on Wednesday at E.S. Rose Park. The Bruins host in-state rival Memphis for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m. Live stats will be available and the games can be seen live on the OVC Digital Network. A live Twitter feed (@BelmontSoftball) will also be available.
