As if the suspense of an eventual extra inning game wasn’t enough, after playing the first inning, the two teams waited out a double-digit hour rain delay — a delay which started Thursday night and extended into Friday morning.

SIUE struck first by scoring off a fielder’s choice with one out in the top of the fourth. The Cougars extended its lead to two courtesy of a suicide-squeeze bunt the following batter.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth that Jacksonville State broke through in the hit column when Leila Chambers doubled down the right field line. However, it wouldn’t be until the next inning that the Gamecocks found their way onto the scoreboard as Jamie McGuire slugged a two-run home run to center field to tie the game.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Stephanie Lewis drew a one-out walk before sliding into home when Whitney Gillespie hit a triple to right center field to send Jacksonville State further in the tournament.