JSU-QU BOX SCORE  |  JSU-PITT BOX SCORE

CLEARWATER, Fla. – An eight-inning no hitter from Ashley Eliasson to down Pittsburgh capped a solid pitching day for the Jacksonville State softball team, who split a pair of games on the final day of the USF Under Armour Showcase on Sunday.

A junior from Vallejo, Calif., Eliasson retired the first 14 batters she faced and allowed just one runner past first base before the eighth in guiding the Gamecocks (9-9) to a 1-0 win over the Panthers. The Gamecocks' first no-no since Eliasson threw one in 2008 avenged a 2-0 loss to Quinnipiac to start the day that spoiled another solid pitching performance from freshman Hilary Phillips.

It was Eliasson's second career no hitter and the first by a Gamecock since she threw her first, a five-inning gem against Austin Peay on April 27, 2008. Against Pitt on Saturday, she struck out four and walked two for her eighth complete game and first shutout of the season and to improve to 5-6 on the year. It was the first non-shortened no hitter by a JSU player since Christine Pierce's seven-inning no hitter at Samford on March 23, 2006.

Phillips (4-3) suffered the tough-luck loss to the Bobcats, who scored their first two batters in the top of the first before the freshman from Ider, Ala., settled in. After tossing a one-hitter in a win over Cleveland State on Saturday, Phillips struck out seven batters and allowed just five hits, one in the final five innings in the loss to QU on Sunday.

In the Gamecocks' win over Pitt, the two took a scoreless tie into the eighth, when the international tiebreaker rule put a runner at second to start the inning. Senior Mary Beth Ledbetter occupied second to start the top of the inning for JSU, reached third on a sac bunt by Kelci Johnston and scored on a squeeze bunt from freshman Cara Longworth.

The Panthers looked to have things going in the bottom of the inning, when their courtesy baserunner, Jessica Rhodunda, was standing on third with no outs after an error by Longworth at third started the inning. Longworth made up for the miscue on the ensuing at bat, when she hauled in Reba Tutt's pop up and doubled off Amanda Heitmeier at first. Eliasson then finished off the Panthers by striking out Kristen Cheesebrew for the final out.

Senior Hillary Downs went 2-for-4 with a double, the game's lone extra-base hit, to lead the Gamecock offense, while five other Gamecocks scattered the team's other five hits.

Cory Berliner (4-3) suffered the loss in the pitchers' duel, allowing an unearned run on seven hits in eight innings of work. She also walked one and fanned six.

In the first game of the day, singles from Angela Casella and Lauren Salgado to lead off the first set up a two-out, two-run double from Kelly Wall that gave the Bobcats the deciding 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning.

Heather Schwartzburg would come out on top of this pitchers' duel, striking out 13 JSU batters while holding the Gamecocks scoreless on just five hits. Krystal Ruth's double served as Jax State's lone extra-base hit, while senior Nikki Prier singled and walked in the game.

The Gamecocks will be back in action on Saturday, when they open the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference schedule at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader vs. Eastern Illinois. The twinbill will open a three-game series that will wrap up at 1 p.m. on Sunday and will serve as JSU's first home game since Feb. 18. All three games will be broadcast live on the JSU Radio Network. Admission is free to all JSU home games at University Field.