EMCC Lady Lions look to get back on track with Tuesday softball twinbill at rival East Central

SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College's softball team will look to get back on the winning track Tuesday with a scheduled road doubleheader against rival East Central Community College.  First pitch for the rematch twinbill is set for 3 p.m. on the Decatur campus.

Since opening their current campaign with a Feb. 10 home doubleheader sweep (12-4, 7-6) over East Central, the 2-6 EMCC Lady Lions have dropped six straight decisions away from the Scooba campus.  After scoring 19 runs on opening day against ECCC's Lady Warriors two weeks ago, East Mississippi has since managed to push across just 10 total runs during its current six-game losing skid.

In contrast, East Central is now 10-2 on the year and has won six consecutive contests since being swept in Scooba.  Since their two losses at EMCC, the Lady Warriors have outscored their opponents – four games against Marion Military and a doubleheader versus Alabama Southern – by a 53-7 composite total.   

Most recently at Saturday's Rush Invitational, hosted by Meridian Community College at Highland Park, EMCC suffered a 16-4 setback at the hands of Central Alabama Community College before dropping a 3-1 decision in the nightcap to Shelton State CC.  Two days prior in Perkinston, the Lady Lions were limited to four total hits en route to getting shut out twice, 7-0 and 8-0, by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.    

In their opener against Central Alabama at the MCC-hosted tournament this past weekend, the Lady Lions were victimized by six defensive errors while a trio of EMCC pitchers collectively walked nine batters.  Later in the day during a hard-luck loss to Shelton State, EMCC freshman left-hander Valiree Blair, of Richland, scattered five hits with three strikeouts and two walks during her complete-game pitching effort.

Offensively during Saturday's tournament action in Meridian, East Mississippi managed 10 total hits in the two games.  The Lady Lions did produce their first home run of the season when former Clarkdale High School product Molly McLeod smacked a two-run homer to center field in the second inning against Central Alabama.  In the nightcap versus SSCC, sophomores Kasey Stanfield and Anna McCrary, former New Hope High School teammates, both went 2-for-3 at the plate for EMCC.

Head coach Kyndall White's EMCC Lady Lions are slated to begin MACJC North Division softball action Friday (Feb. 27) by returning home to entertain the Rangers of Northwest Mississippi Community College.  First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the EMCC Softball Field.