EMCC Lady Lions fall just short in pair of comeback softball bids

BOONEVILLE — East Mississippi Community College's softball team came up just short during valiant comeback attempts against Calhoun and Northwest Mississippi during Wednesday's neutral-site action hosted by Northeast Mississippi Community College.  Despite three-run seventh innings in both games, the Lady Lions fell to Calhoun, 6-4, to begin the day and then to Northwest, 6-5, in the nightcap.

Following the cancellation of this week's scheduled Northeast-hosted TigerFest Tournament because of incoming inclement weather, EMCC, Northwest and Northeast joined Alabama-based schools Calhoun and Bevill State to play a total of five games Wednesday split between David Carnell Memorial Field and the Northeast Softball Complex.

In EMCC's game versus Calhoun played at David Carnell Field, the Lady Warhawks grabbed an early 5-0 lead off EMCC starting pitcher Maggie Meadows.  Following a two-run second inning, Calhoun's Emily Cowart belted a three-run homer in the third.

The Lady Lions got on the board in the sixth inning when Kamryn Moore led off with a single for her third hit of the game.  She then stole second and third before coming in to score on Carrie Grace Baty's grounder to second base.

After Calhoun reclaimed its five-run lead with a solo score in the top of the seventh, the Lady Lions made things very interesting during the home half of the frame.  Meadows capped her 3-for-3 outing at the plate by getting hit by a pitch to start the inning.  Allison Brown then doubled in front of Hope Thames' three-run blast – her seventh career home run – to cut the deficit to 6-4 with no outs.

Krista Sikes then entered the circle in relief for the Lady Warhawks and proceeded to shut down EMCC's rally with a pair of strikeouts and an infield pop-up.

With nine total hits as a team in the game, EMCC left 10 runners on base, including eight in scoring position.

EMCC's second game of the day was played on the Northeast campus against division foe Northwest Mississippi.

As they did during the day's opening action, the Lady Lions got behind early after Northwest plated three runs in the first inning and two more the following frame.

EMCC managed to trim the deficit with Moore's solo home run in the fourth followed by consecutive doubles from Lily Ramsey and Brown an inning later.

After the Rangers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth off EMCC starting pitcher Rylee Bourland to move ahead, 6-2, the Lady Lions battled back again with some late-game fireworks.  Following Meadows' sixth single of the day and a walk to Ramsey to lead off the seventh, Brown smacked a three-run homer to left field to quickly make it a one-run contest.  In relief of starter Saige Koczka, Northwest's Kaylei Peterson then settled down in the circle to retire EMCC's next three batters in order and lock down the victory for the Rangers.

The Lady Lions outhit Northwest, 9-8, with Meadows posting her second three-hit effort of the day and Ramsey and Brown collecting two hits apiece during the nightcap.

While having also previously dropped home-and-home series to Holmes to begin the season, Coach Austin McNair's EMCC Lady Lions will look to get into the win column during next week's Rush Invitational Tournament to be hosted by Meridian Community College.  EMCC is scheduled to take on Olney Central College (11 a.m.), Bossier Parish CC (1 p.m.) and Coastal Alabama-North (5 p.m.) during Friday's (Feb. 19) tournament action at Northeast Park in Meridian.