WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Jacksonville State 3, Samford 2
Austin Peay 10, @Middle Tennessee 6
JACKSONVILLE STATE 3, SAMFORD
OXFORD, Ala. - Faith Sims tossed her sixth complete game in as many starts on Wednesday night, when she pitched Jacksonville State to a 3-2 softball win over Samford at Choccolocco Park.
The senior from Cordova, Ala., allowed just four hits, two of which came in the first inning. She settled in to retire 13 of the last 14 batters she faced and lift the Gamecocks (8-4) over their in-state rival Bulldogs (5-12).
Samford scored their only two runs off of Sims (6-0) in the first inning, when a leadoff walk was followed by a single and then a two-run double from Madison Couch that gave the Bulldogs an early lead.
It didn't last long, thanks to a three-run second inning by JSU that was set up by three-straight walks by Taylor DeCelles (0-6), who pitched her best game of the young season so far. She allowed just two hits in her six-inning complete game, both of them by senior Hayley Sims. The Carrollton, Ga., native doubled in a run in the second and singled later in the game to cap her 2-for-2 night.
KArsen Mosley drew the first walk of that second inning and then stole second and moved to third on a DeCelles wild pitch. Savannah Sudduth, who was running for Alexus Jimmerson after she drew the second walk, stole second and forced catcher Kathryn Jackson to make an errant throw that allowed Mosley to score and Sudduth to move to third.
Lex Hull followed with the third walk and then scored behind Sudduth when Hayley Sims drove a 2-2 pitch into the gap in left center and put JSU up 3-2.
Both pitchers settled in from that point and neither offense could change the score the rest of the way.
JSU will be off this weekend before returning to action on Tuesday, when they travel to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech at 4 p.m. CT.
AUSTIN PEAY 10, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 6
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Austin Peay defeated Middle Tennessee, 10-6, in Murfreesboro on Wednesday. With the win the Govs improved to 9-6 on the season.
Danielle Liermann led Austin Peay at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Drew Dudley also hit a pair of home runs in the win.
Morgan Rackel earned her sixth win of the season, going the distance and striking out six.
The Govs are back in action this weekend as they travel to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleer Showdown. Austin Peay will play Radford and UNLV on Friday.