EMCC enters win column with 9-0 softball victory over Spoon River in Meridian’s Rush Invitational

MERIDIAN – The East Mississippi Community College softball team got into the win column Saturday afternoon with a 9-0 run-rule victory over Spoon River College during the Rush Invitational played at the Northeast Park softball complex.

EMCC's first softball win of the season was sandwiched between a 17-7 loss to Heartland Community College and a 6-1 setback to preseason 10^th-ranked Shelton State Community College during the second day of the two-day tournament hosted by Meridian Community College.

Ciara Steward's two-hit shutout pitching performance and Kendall Wilkinson's 3-for-4 effort at the plate keyed the Lions in their victory over SRC.  EMCC also had two-hit outings from Mallory Vance, Sydney Olander and Magnolia Keller in the contest.

Following their 10-hit team effort against Heartland in Saturday's opener, the Lions banged out a dozen more hits in their middle contest of the day.  After scoring a run in the second inning on Keller's RBI single, EMCC batted around in the fifth to score six runs on five hits while also taking advantage of three SRC errors in the frame.

The Lions added two more runs in the sixth on Rachel Rooney's sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single by Wilkinson.  Wilkinson, a product of East Webster High School, had two RBIs and two runs scored in the victory after going 2-for-3 with a pair of two-out, RBI singles in the day's opening game against Heartland.

In the circle after retiring the first 10 Spoon River batters, Steward only allowed singles in the fourth and sixth innings.  The Oxford native struck out four and walked just one en route to her third career pitching victory for the Lions.

During their nightcap setback to Shelton State, the Lions fell victim to two-out, three-run homers by Courtney Richardson and Haley Britt in the third and fifth innings, respectively.  EMCC was held to just three hits by SSCC's Lauren O'Dell – two by Olander, who had five hits on the day.  Wilkinson also had five total hits during the three games.

The Lions had four players with multiple hits in their Saturday opener as well.  In addition to Wilkinson's two hits and four RBIs, Vance, Treasure Lynch and Layton Sills each had two hits versus Heartland.            

Coach Kyndall White's 1-12 EMCC Lions are scheduled to play host to Marion Military Institute in a 2 p.m. Monday makeup doubleheader on the Scooba campus.  The following day they are slated to take on Wallace State Community College in a 1 p.m. Tuesday twin bill in Hanceville, Alabama.