EMCC Lady Lions drop six-inning, run-rule decisions at No. 8 Jones College

ELLISVILLE — The visiting Lady Lions of East Mississippi Community College dropped a pair of run-rule decisions, 14-6 and 8-0, to eighth-ranked Jones College during Sunday's MACCC softball action played at Community Bank Park.

Lily Ramsey's lead-off home run – her second homer of the season – off Jones starting pitcher Breley Boykin set the stage for a competitive contest in the opener.

After the Lady Bobcats answered EMCC's first-inning tally by manufacturing a pair of runs without a hit in the home half of the frame, they increased their lead to 5-1 through three innings.  Lauren Pope's two-run homer highlighted JC's three-run third inning.

The two teams traded solo scores in the fourth and fifth innings before the game-deciding sixth frame.  In the top half off JC reliever Sterling James, the visitors made things interesting by cutting the deficit to a run (7-6) with Jenna Coker's solo blast – her third homer of the year – followed by Kamryn Moore's two-out, two-run single later in the inning.

The drama didn't last much longer, however, as Jones exploded for three home runs during a seven-run sixth inning off EMCC starting pitcher Rylee Bourland to reach the run-rule margin of eight runs.  Lauren Lindsey's three-run homer was followed by a solo shot from Pope – her second of the game – and ultimately by Kristian Edwards' walk-off, two-run blast.

EMCC's nine-hit team effort in the opener was led by two-hit outings from Ramsey, Moore and Tommesha Brown.

The nightcap also went six innings before ending in run-rule fashion, but this time the outcome was never in doubt.

With Jones starting pitcher Nia Luckett holding EMCC hitless until Ramsey's two-out single in the sixth inning, the Lady Bobcat offense put up runs in all but one of the six frames.  After scoring once during each of the first two innings, Jones went ahead 4-0 on Lindsey's two-run home run – her second homer of the afternoon – in the third.  The Lady Bobcats then scored twice during the fifth and sixth innings to walk it off and secure the conference doubleheader sweep.

Coach Austin McNair's EMCC Lady Lions, 7-25 overall and 7-19 in conference play, are scheduled to conclude their regular-season softball slate by playing host to the Hinds Lady Eagles in a Saturday (April 24) afternoon doubleheader on the Scooba campus.  Following pre-game Sophomore Day activities, first pitch for Saturday's EMCC-Hinds twin bill is set for 1 p.m. at the EMCC Softball Field on the Scooba campus.