EMCC Lady Lions drop softball doubleheader at Holmes

GOODMAN – The East Mississippi Community College softball team fell twice on the road to Holmes during Wednesday's MACJC action.  After a late comeback attempt fell just short in a 4-3 opening-game loss, the visiting Lady Lions dropped a 9-1 run-rule decision in the nightcap to the Lady Bulldogs.

Following a pair of scoreless innings in the first game, Holmes took an initial 1-0 lead by scoring an unearned run off EMCC starting pitcher Bryley Rodriguez in the third inning.  The Lady Bulldogs then took advantage of another EMCC throwing error a frame later to pick up three more runs.  Emily Littlejohn's leadoff triple and a two-run double by Madison Fields highlighted Holmes' three-run inning.

Behind starting pitcher Katie Lawrence, Holmes held a 4-0 lead until the sixth inning when the Lady Lions benefitted from a pair of Lady Bulldog miscues to cut into the deficit.  Following back-to-back singles by Ashley Vickers and Mollie Singleterry to open the sixth and a subsequent walk to Rodriguez, EMCC pushed across a pair of runs when pinch-hitter Avery Bouchillon's grounder to third was thrown away at first base.  Megan Cummins then followed with a two-out RBI single to bring the visitors to within a run.  That was as close as the Lady Lions would get, however, as Cummins was stranded at second following a stolen base.  Lawrence then pitched out of seventh-inning trouble to preserve Holmes' 4-3 victory.

Out-hitting Holmes, 10-5, in the opener, EMCC was led at the plate by Vickers, Rodriguez, Cummins and Kelsey English with two hits apiece.

In the circle for the Lady Lions, Rodriguez fell to 6-8 on the year with the complete-game decision.  Along with scattering five hits with three strikeouts and three walks, the Cankton, Louisiana native went 2-for-2 with a walk at the plate.

In the nightcap, EMCC grabbed an early 1-0 lead by scoring an unearned run on Singleterry's RBI single in the top of the first inning.  But that was basically the only offense the Lady Lions would be able to muster off Holmes starter Allison Irby during the second game.  The visitors could only manage singles by Cummins and Vickers in the second and third innings, respectively, the rest of the way.  In allowing only one baserunner to reach scoring position over the final four innings, Holmes' Irby retired the last eight EMCC batters she faced.     

On offense, the Lady Bulldogs again took advantage of an EMCC infield error in the bottom of the first with consecutive two-out, run-scoring doubles by Aubree McWilliams and Courtney Hatcher off sophomore right-hander AG Stewart.  A frame later, McWilliams and Hatcher again smacked back-to-back doubles to highlight Holmes' four-run third inning and extend the lead to 6-1.

After plating two more unearned runs in the fourth, the Lady Bulldogs reached the run-rule margin of eight runs the next inning when McWilliams ended the game in the fifth with a bases-loaded hit to the left-centerfield gap.           

Coach Kyndall White's EMCC Lady Lions, 11-16 overall and 7-5 in conference play, will travel to Raymond to meet the Lady Eagles of Hinds Community College in a Friday afternoon doubleheader.  First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at Rene T. Warren Field on the Hinds campus.