Home-standing EMCC Lions drop pair of softball decisions to No. 11 Northwest

SCOOBA — Despite a valiant comeback attempt in the opening game, the home-standing Lions of East Mississippi Community College dropped 13-9 and 14-3 decisions to 11^th-ranked Northwest Mississippi during Thursday's MACCC softball action played at the EMCC Softball Field.

In the opener, the visiting Rangers used the long ball to mount a double-digit lead before EMCC could get on the scoreboard. Beginning with McKaylee Polk's first-inning homer off EMCC starting pitcher Laken Firth, all four Northwest home runs in game one were of the two-run variety.

Northwest added two-run homers by Saige Koczka and Caylee Comer during a five-run third inning and then followed with a pinch-hit, two-run homer by Kaily Edwards a frame later to increase the Rangers' lead to 10-0.

After the Lions got on the board in the fourth inning with Raegan Pritchett scoring on a wild pitch and Meleah Pogue singling in a run, the visitors got those pair of runs back in the fifth to reclaim their 10-run lead at 12-2. With the Lions facing a possible run-rule outcome, they rallied to bat around and score six times in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to four runs. Following an inning-opening outfield error by Northwest, EMCC put together a string of five straight hits that began with Jenna Kirkland's triple.  

EMCC shaved another run off Northwest's lead when Kirkland and Celeste Study opened the home half of the sixth inning with back-to-back doubles. The Rangers got that run back in their next at-bat to account for the final score.

Study led the way for EMCC offensively in the opener with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate that included a pair of doubles and two runs batted in. Kirkland was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

The nightcap remained a close contest through the first four innings before the Rangers broke open a 5-3 game with three runs in the fifth and six more a frame later to secure the run-rule decision and complete the road sweep over the Lions.

The two teams traded two-run at-bats to begin the second game. After Northwest jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning on RBI singles from Koczka and Comer, the Lions answered in the bottom half of the frame with Study's two-run double – her third two-bagger of the afternoon and eighth of the year.

Northwest and EMCC both scored again in the second inning to make it a 5-3 contest. The Rangers plated three runs on back-to-back doubles by Koczka and Polk, while Maggie Meadows accounted for the Lions' final run of the afternoon with a solo blast – her first homer of the year and third of her career - to lead off the bottom of the second inning.

Following a pair of scoreless innings, Northwest supplied starting pitcher Gabby Dickerson with nine insurance runs over the final two frames. The Rangers increased their home run total on the day to six with Comer's second homer of the twin bill coming in the fifth followed by another two-run shot by Polk an inning later.

Coach Whitney Hawkins' EMCC Lions (4-21, 0-6 MACCC) will conclude their week-long softball home stand by playing host to 17^th-ranked Southwest Mississippi in a Saturday afternoon (March 26) doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on the Scooba campus.