ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Jaguars played their first Peach Belt Conference doubleheader on the road this season and swept the Flagler Saints on Sunday to give GRU Augusta their 12th win in the last 15 games.
The Jaguars (15-4, 2-1 PBC) took game one in 11 innings, their first extra-inning game of the year. The Saints scored first in game one, when GRU starting pitcher Paige Deschaine (8-1) gave up an RBI single in the first and a three-run homerun in the fourth. GRU trailed 5-1 after they scored a lone run in the second on Brianna Dickens' single up the middle to plate Hannah Vaughn.
In their last scheduled at bat of the seventh inning, the Jags scored four to tie the game and force extra innings. Molly Walton Started it with a single to score Dickens, before Mallory Ferguson brought across Ashley Benton on a fielder's choice. A double from Brooke Stephens and a liner down left field from Hannah Vaughn tied the game at 5-5.
Mallory Ferguson was the hero with a homerun in the 11th inning, scoring Molly Walton for a 7-5 Jaguar lead. Deschaine sat down the Saints three-up, three-up down to give GRU the game-one victory.
Deschaine tossed all 11 innings and got the win striking out 13 batters. Hannah Wilson and Stephens each went 3-6 and Ferguson recorded three RBI. Vaughn went 2-4 with an RBI and a run.
GRU jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning of game two and eventually 6-0, after Benton and Wilson knocked RBI singles in the fourth. The Jags knocked 17 hits and swept the doubleheader with a 14-5 final.
Lefty Haley Birkle only allowed seven hits in her complete-game performance on the mound for the Jags. Stephens was 3-3 with two RBI and Wilson 2-3 with five RBI and a homer. Casey Rowland also had a pinch hit homer for the Jags to notch two RBI.
Stepehsnwent 11-18 with six RBI to lead the Jags to five wins in six games on the week. She batted .611 with a .944 slugging percentage and had three doubles and a homer.
The Jags play another Peach Belt road series at rival USC Aiken on Friday, March 20 at 1:00 p.m. in Aiken, S.C.
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