NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont softball earned a split with second-place Jacksonville State (31-15, 14-6 OVC) Saturday afternoon as the Bruins escaped with a 4-3 victory in the nightcap of the twin bill at Rose Park.
GAME 1: Jacksonville State 5, Belmont 3
Belmont struck first after an RBI single to left field from senior Heather Turner (Rosenburg, Texas) drove home fellow senior Amanda Criscione (Upland, Calif.) in the third inning as the Bruins were the first to dent the scoreboard.
The single and RBI proved to be Turner's first of the season as the veteran has been sidelined for the majority of the year due to an injury occurring in the offseason.
Jacksonville State tied up the contest off a solo home run from Sara Borders to lead off the top of the fourth inning. The homer was Borders 15th long ball of the year.
JSU used another big hit to create separation between as the Gamecocks loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning and junior Cadi Oliver drove them in off a grand slam home run to left center field.
Trailing 4-1 in the home half of the fifth, the Bruins rallied. BU knocked in a run as freshman Ally Bessette (Bryan, Texas) was called safe at home plate off a fielder's choice from a JSU infielder.
BU punched in another score on the following play as Amy Zeronian (Pasadena, Calif.) found home off a stolen base by senior Kat Hollingsworth (Carrollton, Texas) as the Bruins drew to within a pair of runs, 5-3.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, sophomore Kayla Wells (Bonney Lake, Wash.) extended the game with a single to left field and the potential game-tying run coming to the plate in Hollingsworth.
Hollingsworth proceeded to ground out on the following at-bat as the Bruins were edged in the opening game of the doubleheader, 5-3.
JSU held a slight, 8-7, advantage in hits on the contest as seven different Bruins accounted for a hit on the game.
BU's Carolyn Snodgress (Torrance, Calif.) threw a complete game for the Bruins in the losing effort. The junior allowed five earned runs off eight hits with one strikeout.
GAME 2: Belmont 4, Jacksonville State 3
Like the opening contest, the Bruins were first light up the scoreboard as a triple from Kat Hollingsworth in the first inning drove home Amy Zeronian. Hollingsworth was eventually called out at home as the senior tried to extend the hit to an in-the-park home run.
JSU quickly knotted the match off an RBI double from Taylor Sloan in the top of the second inning.
Kayla Wells broke the stalemate in the third inning as the sophomore drove in Jess Andree (Darien, Ill.) from third base off an RBI single to right field as the Bruins pushed ahead, 2-1.
The Bruins doubled their scoring total off a single swing in the bottom of the fourth as a two-run shot to left center field from Jordan Daly (Humble, Texas) gave BU a 4-1 advantage. The homer was Daly's second of the season.
JSU responded as the visitors from Alabama loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning with just one out. A sacrifice fly to left field drove home a run but the damage proved minor as a pop up to shortstop ended the inning with the Bruins still ahead, 4-2.
BU found itself clinging to a slight, 4-3 advantage heading into the top of the seventh after JSU added another run in the sixth inning. With a pair of runners on first and second base, a fly ball to left field ended Jacksonville State's rally attempt as the Bruins held on for the 4-3 victory and the split on the afternoon.
Wells led the offensive attack for the Bruins as the sophomore finished a perfect, 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI. Three other Bruins notched a hit with Daly adding a pair of RBI.
The triple was Hollingsworth's team-leading sixth of the year as the senior now moves into a second place tie for the most triples in a season. The veteran trails former BU great Sherry Tegarden's total of seven during the 1999 season. Overall the triple was Hollingsworth's 13th of her career which currently ranks third in program history.
BU's Taylor Moon (Vestavia, Ala.) earned the victory as the junior allowed a pair of earned runs off five hits with a strikeout in five innings of work.
Senior Katie Clancy (Pasadena, Calif.) recorded her second career-save as the right-hander relieved Moon in the top of the sixth inning with the Bruins up, 4-2. Clancy allowed no earned runs with a pair of strikeouts in two innings of work.
Belmont (11-30, 6-14 OVC) and Jacksonville State return to Rose Park tomorrow afternoon for the series rubber match. The first pitch is set for 12:30 p.m.
Sunday also marks Senior Day at Rose Park as the five 2015 seniors will be celebrated with a pre-game ceremony starting at approximately 12:15 p.m.
