BOX SCORE

JACKSONVILLE – UT Martin overcame an early Jacksonville State charge to hand the Gamecocks a 9-6 defeat on Saturday at University Field, avoiding what would have been the sixth-straight season sweep to JSU.

The Gamecocks (15-15, 4-5 Ohio Valley Conference) scored four runs in the first but watched the first-place Skyhawks (27-6, 8-2 OVC) take advantage of three JSU errors to score five unearned runs in the fifth. They would pull away late to defeat the Gamecocks for the first time in the regular season since 2004.

Senior Chrissy O'Neal went 2-for-3 at the plate and junior Amanda Crow went 2-for-4 with a home run to lead a nine-hit, four home run attack by the Gamecocks. Senior Hillary Downs homered for the third time in the series, while junior Sallie Beth Burch also went deep for JSU. Senior Nikki Prier hit her third home run of the year, a three-run shot that gave the Gamecocks an early lead.

The Skyhawks got three hits each from Megan Williams and Laurie Lindow, while Jenny Bain and Laura Roberts supplied the power with a homer apiece.

The Gamecocks jumped on the Skyhawks early, using a three-run homer from Prier and a solo blast from Downs to grab a 4-0 lead after an inning. Prier's blast ended a drought of 22 games without a home run for the Raleigh, N.C., native, while Downs' was the third of the series for the senior from Childersburg, Ala.

Three JSU errors in the top of the third prolonged the inning and opened the door for the Skyhawks to plate five unearned runs with two outs and claim a 5-4 lead. The big blow of the frame was a three-run homer to left off the bat of Roberts.

Burch evened the game in the home half of the inning, thanks to a leadoff homer off of the scoreboard in left field. UTM didn't let the score remain tied for long, as Bain belted a two-run line drive over the top of the wall in right to put the Skyhawks back on top, 7-5.

They stretched the lead to 8-5 an inning later on a two-out single from Lindow that scored Kate Vanderham from second, and a single from Jordan Garrett in the top of the seventh drove in Vanderham to give them a 9-5 advantage.

Amanda Crow belted a solo homer in the seventh to pull the Gamecocks to within 9-6, but it would be all they would muster in the final frame.

UTM starter Kate Vanderham threw just 19 pitches but surrendered four runs on four hits while recording just one out. She gave way to Paij Lintz (12-2), who allowed two runs on five hits in 6.2 innings in the circle.

JSU starter Ashley Eliasson cruised early but was chased in the third after the Gamecocks' fielding miscues led to her allowing five unearned runs in 2.2 innings of work. Freshman Hilary Phillips (5-8) was tagged with the loss after surrendering four runs on seven hits and three walks in 4.1 innings of relief work.

The Gamecocks will host a pair of midweek games this week, beginning with a visit from Alabama State on Tuesday at 5 p.m. They will then host in-state foe UAB on Thursday at 6 p.m. All JSU home games are free to all fans.