East Mississippi swept in home softball action by Shelton State

SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College pitching surrendered 11 home runs in being swept, 14-0 and 11-7, by visiting Shelton State Community College during Tuesday's softball action played on the Scooba campus.

In the opening contest, the Lady Lions were limited to just two hits by Shelton State's Katlyn Childress, who improved to 5-0 on the year.  EMCC's only scoring threat of the game came in the fourth inning.  A lead-off double by Mollie Singleterry preceded a hit batsman and an Ashley Vickers single to load the bases, but Childress was able to get out of the jam unscathed by retiring the next three batters.

Meanwhile, the Lady Bucs reached EMCC starting pitcher AG Stewart for six home runs during the run-rule contest.  On the heels of Kailey Stoker's solo homer in the first, Shelton State added three runs in the third and four more in the fourth, highlighted by back-to-back solo blasts from Haley Thorpe and Leslie Brogden.

The visitors continued their power surge with six additional runs in the fifth inning on the strength of a two-run homer by Brogden followed by a grand slam off the bat of Stoker.

The nightcap was much more competitive, though Shelton State's ability to hit the long ball throughout the lineup proved to be the difference in the game.  The Lady Bucs took an early 3-0 lead with a run in the first and a pair of scores an inning later, but EMCC was able to cut into the deficit with consecutive run-producing groundouts from Kelsey English and Singleterry in the bottom of the second.

Following a pair of scoreless innings, Shelton State batted around during a five-run fifth inning that featured three more home runs.  After back-to-back homers by Holly Murray and Thorpe off EMCC starting pitcher Bryley Rodriguez, Kelby Hogan belted a two-run shot to extend the Lady Bucs' lead to 8-2.

The Lady Lions answered right back in the bottom of the fifth to trim the deficit in half.  Singleterry's lead-off double set the table for current MACJC Player of the Week Camryn Williams to smack her fifth home run in as many games.  Through the season's first 10 games, the White Hall, Arkansas native is batting .467 on the year with 14 runs batted in to go along with her five homers.

Both teams added a trio of runs in the sixth inning to account for the final score.  Murray hit her second homer of the game for Shelton, while EMCC countered with an RBI single by English and Singleterry's sacrifice fly.  English and Rebekah Williams had two hits apiece in the nightcap for the Lady Lions.

Coach Kyndall White's 2-8 EMCC Lady Lions are scheduled to face Shelton State again Friday morning in Tuscaloosa at 11 a.m. before taking on Roane State CC at 1 p.m. in the Shelton State-hosted tournament.  Tourney action moves to Meridian on Saturday with EMCC slated to play three games in succession at the Rush Invitational.  A 1 p.m. contest against Calhoun CC will be followed by a 3 p.m. game versus Bevill State and a 5 p.m. matchup with Motlow State.