Box Score NEWARK, Del. — The Jax State softball team suffered its first loss of the Conference USA Softball Tournament to the Liberty Flames, falling 7-2 at the Delaware Diamond on Friday afternoon.

The Gamecocks will have to take on the winner of LA Tech and Western Kentucky for a final chance to reach the conference championship game at approximately 4 p.m. CT on Friday.

Jax State (43-14, 24-3 CUSA) struggled to find momentum on the offensive end all game long, only managing to pick up two hits in the contest which came in the final two innings of play.

Both squads went scoreless through the first three frames, as Jax State freshman pitcher Makenna Moore and Liberty sophomore pitcher Camden Anders combined for four strikeouts during the span to limit traffic on the base paths early on. Jax State loaded the bases thanks to a walk and two hit by pitches in the fourth with one out, but a strikeout and a pop out ended the inning. 

However, the Flames were able to jump ahead in the fourth inning after a three-run home run by Dani Lee opened up the scoreboard for the first time. Liberty was able to tack on another three scores in the fifth inning as well, featuring a two-run homer and a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-0 game.

Heading into the sixth inning, the Gamecocks were still hitless until a two-out double by Aria Davis kept the game alive, but was left stranded on second base at the conclusion of the frame. Soon after, the Flames added one final insurance run in the top of the seventh to make it a 7-0 game.

Down to its final three outs, Jax State had its first three batters reach base in the bottom of the seventh to load the bases with no outs, in which Morgan Nowakowski brought home a pair of runners after an RBI double to right-center. However, the Gamecocks were unable to carry the momentum and could not plate any more.