EMCC receives quality pitching efforts but drops softball decisions at No. 4 Co-Lin
Despite quality pitching performances from their starters, the visiting Lions of East Mississippi Community College dropped a pair of competitive road decisions (5-1 & 5-0) to nationally fourth-ranked Copiah-Lincoln during Friday’s MACCC softball action.
WESSON – Despite quality pitching performances from their starters, the visiting Lions of East Mississippi Community College dropped a pair of competitive road decisions (5-1 & 5-0) to nationally fourth-ranked Copiah-Lincoln during Friday's MACCC softball action.
Along with the similar final scores, both well-pitched contests featured the two teams getting the same amount of hits during each game. EMCC starting pitchers Gail Wisher and Allee Bennett allowed a respectable seven hits to the Lady Wolves during each outing, while Co-Lin's standout pitching tandem of Emily Richarde and Taylor Efferson countered by limiting the Lions to just six total hits during the twin bill.
Following three scoreless innings in the opening contest, Co-Lin got on the board first with solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings off Wisher. The Lady Wolves added three insurance runs the next frame, highlighted by Efferson's two-run homer.
EMCC's lone run of the afternoon came on freshman Madison Newburn's second home run in as many games to spoil Richarde's shutout bid in the seventh inning.
The Lions' other hits in the opener came on Victoria Irby's two-out liner back to the pitching circle in the third inning and Raylea Atkinson's single two frames later.
The nightcap featured Bennett and Efferson locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel through the first four innings. With two outs in the fifth frame, Co-Lin's Efferson and Avery Williams were consecutively hit by pitches before coming around to score on Kynlee Madere's subsequent two-run double.
The Lady Wolves added three more two-out tallies the next inning on Keegan McCorkle's pinch-hit RBI double in front of Olivia Banes' two-run homer.
EMCC's trio of singles in the nightcap came on back-to-back hits from Rachel Rommel and Irby in the third inning followed by Sasha King's two-out hit the next frame.
On the heels of following consecutive doubleheaders against nationally third-ranked Jones College and No. 4 Co-Lin, head coach Mackenzie Byrd's EMCC Lions (9-19, 5-11 MACCC) are scheduled to play host to No. 25 Itawamba on Tuesday (April 8). First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at the EMCC Softball Field. The Lions will continue home softball action by welcoming the Meridian Lady Eagles in a Saturday (April 12) twin bill beginning at noon on the Scooba campus.