EMCC Lady Lions drop home softball doubleheader to Northeast Mississippi
East Mississippi Community College dropped a home softball doubleheader, 9-4 and 10-3, to Northeast Mississippi during Monday’s MACJC play at the EMCC Softball Field. After letting an early lead slip away in the opening game, the Lady Lions fell victim to a seven-run seventh inning by the visitors in the nightcap.
SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College dropped a home softball doubleheader, 9-4 and 10-3, to Northeast Mississippi during Monday's MACJC play at the EMCC Softball Field. After letting an early lead slip away in the opening game, the Lady Lions fell victim to a seven-run seventh inning by the visitors in the nightcap.
The afternoon began on a positive note for EMCC after benefitting from three Northeast errors in the first inning of the opener to jump out to an early 4-0 lead. The Lady Tigers evened the score over the next two innings on Paige Dill's bases-clearing double in the second followed by a solo home run by Tianna Castillo a frame later off Lady Lion starting pitcher AG Stewart.
Despite the four early runs, EMCC was held to just four total hits in the opener by Caleigh Wallace, including just two hits over the last six shutout innings.
On the flip side, Northeast scored its last six runs via the long ball. A three-run homer by Wallace in the fourth inning broke the 4-4 tie, while Shaquera Wilson's two-run blast in the fifth provided some insurance for the visitors.
The nightcap got going with each team trading solo runs in the second inning. The Lady Lions took their first lead of the game on Megan Cummins' third-inning grounder that plated Camryn Williams.
After the Lady Tigers moved back ahead, 3-2, with two runs in the fourth inning, EMCC's Rebekah Williams knotted the score in the bottom of the sixth with her second homer of the year – a solo shot off Breanna Tarpley.
The visitors promptly answered by loading the bases in their subsequent at-bat against EMCC starter Bryley Rodriguez. A sacrifice fly by Tarpley broke the tie and an ensuing walk to Austyn Holden filled the bases again for the Lady Tigers. Following an infield foul out, Northeast essentially put the game away and secured the sweep with four consecutive run-scoring, two-out hits, including a two-run single by pinch-hitter Lexi Brazeal and a two-run double by Dill.
Combining for 10 hits as a team in the nightcap, including at least one hit in all seven innings, the Lady Lions were led by Rodriguez and Rebekah Williams with three hits apiece. Camryn Williams added a pair of singles and a walk for EMCC.
Coach Kyndall White's EMCC Lady Lions, 12-19 overall and 8-8 in conference play, travel to Poplarville on Wednesday to take on the Lady Wildcats of Pearl River in a 3 p.m. doubleheader that has been moved up one day due to Thursday's rain forecast.