Jax State gets first postseason win

TUSCALOOSA | Freshmen pitcher Ashley Eliasson got herself and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks into a jam, allowing three runs in the first inning of the opening game in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional.

Fortunately for her and JSU, she found her rhythm and shut out Florida State the rest of the way, giving the Gamecocks their first NCAA Tournament win in school history with a 4-3 decision Thursday night at the Alabama Softball Complex.

Jacksonville State will face Alabama today at 2:30 p.m. Florida State will play Chattanooga today at 5. The Crimson Tide defeated Chattanooga 8-0 Thursday night.

“I would say it was a bit of first-inning jitters,” Eliasson (15-3) said of her falling behind 3-0 early.

“It was the first game of Regionals. I guess I was kind of nervous. But once I got past that first inning I wasn’t going to let them score because I knew if I could hold them we could pull through.”

The Seminoles’ Whitney Buckmon started things off with a bunt single and then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error.

Robin Ahrberg’s fielder’s choice scored Buckmon. Eliasson hit back-to-back batters to push across the second FSU run and Monica Montez hit into a fielder’s choice to plate the third run of the inning.

Jacksonville scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. Rachel Fleming scored on a pass ball by Florida State starter Tiffany McDonald.

Jacksonville State got its second run on a Kayla Collins RBI double to left center in the fourth inning.

Collins faced off against her sister, Allison Collins, a freshmen catcher for the Seminoles. Kayla Collins played at FSU last year before transferring to JSU.

The Collins sisters both wear the No. 77 in recognition of their father, Doug Collins, who wore the number when he was an offensive lineman at Alabama in the 1970s.

The Gamecocks took the lead in the fifth inning. Whitney Elder hit an RBI single to score Prier. Amy Brown scored on a wild pitch to give JSU a 4-3 lead.

Jacksonville State coach Jana McGinnis, who earned her 500th win earlier in the season, said it felt awesome to get the Gamecock’s first NCAA Tournament win.

“First I would just like to say how proud I am of this team and this group of girls,” McGinnis said. “To come here and not be intimidated and play with a lot of heart and play to win was awesome. The second thing I would like to say is what an honor it was to play against a hall of fame coach such as coach [Joanne] Graf.”

McGinnis said because Jacksonville State is a small school people don’t expect them to win.

“The most important thing is that our players believed we can win,” McGinnis said. “We knew we could play with Florida State and if we played our game we could win.”

Graf said that JSU took advantage of every mistake the Seminoles made.

“I think you have to congratulate Jacksonville State,” Graf said.

“I think they did a great job. They came ready to play. They scored runs off of our mistakes and we didn’t answer back from it.”

Allie Barker led JSU going 2-for-4. Jackie Jarman was 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Florida State’s Terese Gober (10-13) pitched one inning and allowed two hits and two runs in the loss.

Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron.suttles@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0229.