EMCC Lady Lions set to begin MACJC softball conference slate Friday at Copiah-Lincoln

SCOOBA – With persistent rain and wet field conditions having played havoc with their pre-conference softball slate, the Lady Lions of East Mississippi Community College are slated to begin the MACJC conference portion of their softball spring schedule by heading to Wesson to take on the Copiah-Lincoln Lady Wolves in a Friday (March 8) doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m.

Under the guidance of first-year head softball coach Austin McNair, the EMCC Lady Lions have had to replace previously scheduled February tournaments in Booneville and Meridian with a pair of games in Ellisville back on Feb. 25 and a trio of contests played this past Saturday at the Northeast Mississippi-hosted Farewell to Carnell Classic.

In Booneville this past Saturday, EMCC played three NJCAA Division I opponents to within five total runs, including a pair of one-run contests.  The Lady Lions opened tournament play by letting a 5-1 lead against Bevill State slip away in the late innings.  The Lady Bears scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh and promptly took the 6-5 comeback victory during the extra frame.  Individually for EMCC against Bevill State, freshman catcher Mackenzie Dolan (Union) knocked in four runs, including a two-run single in the third, while freshman Madelyn Wilkes (Noxapater) went the distance in the circle.

In Saturday's middle game, the Lady Lions were limited to just three hits by winning pitcher Lexi McCray in their 3-0 shutout loss to Marion Military Institute.  Freshman pitcher Britney Bonney (Madison Central HS) threw a complete game for EMCC, giving up three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Bonney, a second-team member of the 2018 Clarion Ledger All-State softball team, then returned to the circle in relief of starting pitcher Kerrington Bradford (New Hope HS) in Saturday's nightcap against Shawnee Community College out of Illinois.  While the Lady Lions were battling back from an early 4-2 deficit, Bonney was impressive by striking out nine Shawnee batters without a walk and gave up just one hit over four shutout innings.  Despite the standout relief effort, EMCC had the potential tying run thrown out at home in the sixth inning and then lined into a game-ending double play the following frame with another runner at third base.

At the plate for the Lady Lions during Saturday's 4-3 loss to Shawnee, sophomore outfielder Megan Cummins (Germantown HS) went 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the first inning.  Wilkes drove in two runs during the nightcap, including a run-scoring double in the sixth.

During their adjusted spring-opening action in Ellisville on Feb. 25, the EMCC Lions dropped a 12-4 neutral-site decision to East Central before falling to top-ranked Jones College, 18-5, in the nightcap.  Against East Central at the plate, transfer first baseman Blake Bond (Winona) belted a three-run homer in the fifth inning, while Wilkes was 2-for-2 with an RBI double, a run scored and a walk.  In the nightcap versus the reigning national champion Jones Lady Bobcats, Bond added two singles and a pair of RBIs, while sophomore infielder Kelsey English (Birmingham) had two hits and scored twice.

Upon opening their conference softball slate this week at Copiah-Lincoln and then returning to campus following next week's spring break, the EMCC Lady Lions are scheduled to resume MACJC softball play at Northwest Mississippi on Wednesday, March 20, before their scheduled home opener against the East Central Lady Warriors on Saturday, March 23.