EMCC splits four softball decisions during two-day Rush Invitational in Meridian

MERIDIAN – The East Mississippi Community College softball team broke even during this weekend's Rush Invitational hosted by Meridian Community College.  After holding on to beat host MCC 6-3 and coming back to knock off Shelton State 7-6 in nine innings on Friday, the Lions dropped a tough 2-0 decision Saturday morning to preseason fourth-ranked Chipola College before concluding the two-day tournament at Northeast Park with an 8-6 afternoon setback to Copiah-Lincoln. 

In their tournament opener Friday afternoon against Meridian, the Lions took an early 2-1 lead through four innings and then added three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to take a seemingly comfortable 6-1 advantage into the bottom of the seventh inning.  Relieving EMCC starter Jordan Self in the circle, Madison Jacques incurred some control problems during the final frame.  The freshman left-hander allowed a lead-off single and a pair of two-out walks in front of Keelee Ladnier's two-run single to cut the deficit in half.

After allowing just four hits and one unearned run through the first six innings, Self re-entered the contest with two runners on base.  The freshman right-hander got Brianna Duquette to pop up for the game's final out and preserve her first collegiate victory, the first of two wins the Lanett, Alabama native would earn on the day.

At the plate for EMCC in its tourney opener, freshman first baseman Danielle Darmohray and sophomore third baseman Marissa Landrum each went 2-for-4.  Along with a lead-off double in the third, Darmohray plated a key insurance run with a two-out RBI single in the seventh. 

Perhaps the biggest hit of the contest was Blake Rigdon's two-out, two-run double that scored Molly McLeod and Amandalyn Abney to help make it a 5-1 contest in the sixth inning.

In Friday's nightcap against NJCAA Division I member Shelton State, the Lions came back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  With two on and two out, EMCC's Averi Pender drove home Heather Abney with a single.  Sophomore transfer Zoie LaVergne then followed with a clutch game-tying, two-run single to the opposite field.

The Lions had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh after loading the bases with one out.  Following three successive singles and a strikeout, Landrum's smash back up the middle was snared by SSCC pitcher Kim Crowson, who threw out Sydney Olander at home plate for the inning-ending force out.

Both teams tallied solo runs in the first extra frame to set up the game-deciding ninth inning.  After Shelton State pushed across its lead-off runner utilizing softball's international tiebreaker rules, EMCC mounted a rally in the bottom half of the frame.  Emily Patrick's third single of the game drove home lead-off runner Heather Abney to tie the game.  Pender followed with her third single of the contest to move pinch-runner Treasure Lynch over to third base.  With LaVergne at the plate and only one out, an errant pitch allowed the speedy Lynch to race home for the winning run.

As part of the Lions' 13-hit attack in Friday's nightcap, LaVergne, who drove home three runs in the game, and Heather Abney each added two singles apiece.

In the circle for the winners, Self replaced starter Valiree Blair in the fifth inning with EMCC trailing 4-1.  Self went the rest of the way allowing only one single with three strikeouts and no walks to pick up her second victory of the day.

East Mississippi came right back Saturday morning to face No. 4-ranked Chipola College.  The early-morning contest featured a pitching duel between EMCC freshman left-hander Ciara Steward and Chipola's Brianna Surrento.

Following five relatively uneventful innings, things started to pick up in the sixth, especially for the designated visitors from Florida.  In the top of the sixth, EMCC sophomore right-hander Chandler Ellis relieved Steward with one out and two runners on base.  After walking her first batter, Ellis settled down to get a bases-loaded force out at home and a fly out to get out of the jam.

However, Ellis' control problems continued into the final frame.  After walking the lead-off batter, she issued another walk to set up the game-deciding action.  With runners at the corners, catcher Amandalyn Abney's pick-off throw attempt to an unoccupied third base allowed the game's first run to score.  Gabriela Santos followed with a run-scoring single to center field that accounted for the game's final margin.

Not figuring in the decision, Steward was very impressive in the circle for the Lions.  The Bruce High School product, who re-entered the game to get the final out in the seventh, went an effective 5.2 shutout innings while allowing just five hits without a walk and striking out two.   

In Saturday's tournament finale against Copiah-Lincoln, EMCC came back from an early 3-0 deficit to take a 5-3 lead before a five-run Co-Lin rally in the sixth determined the final outcome and evened the Lions' weekend record and overall mark on the year.

After the Lady Wolves scored two runs in the first and another in the second off LaVergne, the Lions reached Co-Lin starter Kamry Creel for three runs in the third.  Two frames later, EMCC grabbed the lead on consecutive run-producing singles by Olander and Patrick.

In relief of LaVergne and making her third pitching appearance of the weekend, Self seemed to tire somewhat in the sixth as Co-Lin went through the lineup to produce five runs with three timely doubles, including a game-clinching two-bagger by Brittany Barbay to clear the bases.

Patrick and Rigdon paced EMCC's hitters with two hits apiece in Saturday's tournament nightcap, while Olander led the way with three runs batted in.

Coach Kyndall White's 5-5 East Mississippi Lions will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Shelton State in a Feb. 27 doubleheader, before beginning MACJC conference play with a March 1 road twin-bill against Mississippi Delta.