BOX SCORE

JACKSONVILLE – Junior Ashley Eliasson kept UAB at bay for six innings and freshman Hilary Phillips slammed the door on the Blazers in a 2-1 win by the Jacksonville State softball team on Thursday at University Field.

Eliasson held the Blazers (22-11) scoreless on three hits through the first six innings of a pitchers duel but ran into some trouble in the seventh, when a walk, a hit batter and a throwing error scored a run and put runners on second and third with no outs. Phillips, a native of Ider, Ala., came on and needed 12 pitches to strike out the next three batters and propel the Gamecocks (17-15) to their sixth win in eight games and snap a five-game losing streak to the Blazers.

Jax State got just four hits off of UAB ace Lauren Webster, half of which came off of the bat of sophomore Kaycee Crow. The Ringold, Ga., native went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in the fourth that gave the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead and proved to be the game winner. Sophomore Tess Echols and senior Chrissy O'Neal each singled to account for JSU's other hits.

JSU took an early 1-0 lead, when a Webster wild pitch allowed O'Neal to score from third in the first. Eliasson went to work from there, not allowing a runner past second until the seventh, when her throwing error led the the Blazers' lone run of the night.

In that inning, Eliasson issued a leadoff walk to Kate Armstrong and then hit Natalie Mitchell with the first pitch of the at bat. She then got a sacrifice bunt attempt from Erica Sisson, and in an attempt to retire the lead runner at third, threw the ball down the left field line and allowed the Blazers to cut the deficit to 2-1 and put runners at second and third with no outs on the board.

Phillips came on and took over, striking out Webster and then the top two batters in the UAB lineup, Martina Landrum and Caley Walden, to preserve the win and earn her second career save. Eliasson improves to 11-7 after striking out five and walking four before being chased.

Webster (10-4) held JSU to the two runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking one in the tough-luck loss. Mandy Lowman singled twice and Sisson once to account for all of UAB's offense.

JSU will be on the road this weekend for a three-game series at Morehead State. The Gamecocks and Eagles will open the weekend with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday before wrapping it up on Sunday with a 12 p.m. CT single game.