EMCC Lions prep for home softball opener vs. Bevill State after pair of TigerFest wins

BOONEVILLE – East Mississippi Community College's softball team returned to game competition this past Saturday by posting a 6-2 win over Southeastern Illinois College and a 4-2 victory over Lincoln Trail College during the TigerFest Tournament hosted by Northeast Mississippi at The Plex.

Following a 10-day break away from competition because of the previous Saturday's game cancellations due to rain, the Lions took advantage of an inning-opening infield error to jump out to a 4-0 lead Southeastern Illinois. Layla Roper's run-scoring double in the third frame preceded Brianna Byrd's two-out, three-run homer that marked the Petal product's first collegiate home run.

Two innings later after the Falcons cut their deficit in half on Hadlee Rich's two-run triple off EMCC starting pitcher Carys Goodwin, the Lions got those two runs back in the bottom half of the fifth frame. Byrd capped the inning with an infield single that plated Roper, who led off with a walk in front of Karin Wisher's double.

The trio of Byrd, Roper and Karin Wisher combined for six of EMCC's eight hits in the opening game with two hits apiece.

Goodwin, a Corinth product, scattered four hits and struck out three over seven innings to record her third complete-game victory in as many starts this season.

The Lions also scored first in the nightcap versus Illinois-based Lincoln Trail. EMCC starting pitcher Lana Atkins singled home Jenna Kirkland in the first frame to stake herself to an early 1-0 lead. The South Lamar (AL) High School product singled again to lead off the fourth inning and later came around to score the game's second run on Gail Wisher's RBI single.

The Statesmen got on the scoreboard with solo tallies in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Lions answered with single runs of their own during the bottom halves of both frames. Kirkland batted in the fifth-inning run with a sacrifice bunt that scored Victoria Irby. A frame later, Roper delivered an insurance run by doubling home Gail Wisher, who had also doubled.

While Atkins and Gail Wisher combined to account for half of EMCC's eight total hits with two hits apiece in the nightcap, they also recorded their first collegiate win and save, respectively, in the nightcap.

Head coach Mackenzie Byrd's 4-2 EMCC Lions are scheduled to play host to Bevill State in their season home softball opener on Thursday (Feb. 22). The 1 p.m. doubleheader will be played at the EMCC Softball Field on the Scooba campus.