EMCC Lions post pair of 2-1 wins to claim home softball sweep over Northwest in MACJC opener

SCOOBA – East Mississippi Community College successfully opened MACJC softball play with a pair of 2-1 home victories over Northwest Mississippi Community College Wednesday afternoon at the EMCC Softball Field.

While rotating pitchers AG Stewart and Bryley Rodriguez every couple of innings throughout both contests, EMCC limited the Rangers to just six total hits during the afternoon.  The Lions also produced timely two-out hitting in both games to extend their winning streak to four consecutive games.

In the opening contest, Kelsey English capped a two-out EMCC rally with a two-run single in the bottom of the second off Northwest starting pitcher Harley Smith.  Layton Sills began the inning by taking first on a hit batsman.  Consecutive singles by Rebekah Williams and Kiera Phillips at the bottom of the lineup then set the stage for English's clutch hit at the top of the order.

The score stayed 2-0 until the fifth when the visitors reached Rodriguez for an unearned run.  Following Katie Brownlee's leadoff single, Alexis McShan's deep fly ball was misjudged in the outfield to allow the Rangers' lone run of the game to score.

Stewart, who also pitched the second and third innings, came back in to work the final two scoreless innings of the opener to improve her record to 4-2 on the year.  The Pisgah High School product scattered three singles over four shutout innings.

English, out of Clay-Chalkville High School in Alabama, went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead EMCC's seven-hit team effort in the first game.

The Lions also grabbed the early lead in the nightcap when Ashley Vickers scored on Mollie Singleterry's RBI double in the bottom of the first inning.

Following three scoreless innings, the visitors knotted the score at 1-1 in the fifth on doubles by McShan and Kendall Akerson off Rodriguez.

EMCC came right back the next frame with another timely two-out hit to reclaim the lead.  After Singleterry reached first base on a fielder's choice following Vickers' one-out single, freshman Camryn Williams belted an RBI triple off Northwest starting pitcher Sarah Johnson to provide the winning margin.

In the circle for the winners, Rodriguez, from Cankton, Louisiana, picked up her second victory of the season by allowing just the two hits in the fifth while striking out four and not allowing a walk in four innings of work during the second game.  Stewart threw scoreless innings in the third, fourth and seventh to secure her second save of the campaign.

Coach Kyndall White's 6-10 EMCC Lions will continue MACJC play by taking on East Central Community College in a scheduled 1 p.m. doubleheader in Decatur.