CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College softball team will face a stiff road test this weekend when they travel to #4 North Alabama for a three-game series at the UNA Softball Complex.

With rain expected in the area this weekend, the series was moved up, starting with a doubleheader on Friday at 3:00 p.m. The finale will be played on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
 

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THE SERIES

MC and North Alabama have met 37 previous times with the Lady Choctaws holding a 21-16 edge in the series. UNA holds a 9-7 lead in the series in Florence, while MC is 10-1 all-time against the Lions in Clinton. Two years ago, UNA swept MC in Alabama on their way to a Division II national championship run.

Last season, MC won 2-of-3 from tthe Lions in Clinton, grabbing an 8-1 and 1-0 victories before UNA closed things with a 4-0 victory. Jordan Holifield tossed a complete game, allowing just five hits and an unearned run in the series-opening victory, while Adrianna Morgan tossed a shutout with just five hits allowed in the 1-0 win.
 

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MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE
Record: 14-10, 7-7 GSC
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The Lady Choctaws, led by 12th-year head coach Brooke O'Hair, is coming off a doubleheader sweep of Lane University where they scored a season-high 14 runs in the first game and hit their most home runs in a single game (4) since 2013 in the second contest. Overall, MC has is 9-3 over their last 12 contests, which includes a pair of GSC series wins over Shorter and Lee.

Freshman Jessica Aron (.289) had her biggest day as a Lady Choctaw against Lane, going 4-for-6 with three extra-base hits (double, triple & home run) and four RBI. The long ball was the first of her career and the first of back-to-back home runs with junior Alexia Harmon (.254), who has hit a home run in three of her last four games.

Sophomores Carly Crawford (.387) and Shayla McKissock (.354) are the team's top two hitters, while senior Katherine Lee (.324) and freshman Kayla Murphy (.278) have each scored a team-high 18 runs. Junior Kristen Qualls (.300) hit her 26th career home run in the 7-0 win over Lane, putting her just one long ball behind Brooke Smitherman for the school's all-time record.

In the circle, freshman Madi Lancaster (1-2, 4.57 ERA) tossed a one-hit shutout against Lane, while senior Kristen Gardner (2-3, 6.82 ERA) tied a career-high with eight strikeouts against the Dragons. Cori Cooper (3-1, 2.46 ERA) leads the Lady Choctaws with 30 strikeouts in 2018, while Adrianna Morgan (5-0, 3.03 ERA) has yet to drop a game this season. Junior Penny Nichols (3-4, 5.12 ERA) was a Presesason All-GSC selection this season.
 

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NORTH ALABAMA
Record: 23-2, 14-0 GSC
ROSTER  |  SCHEDULE  |  STATISTICS

The #4 Lions have won 21 straight games after opening the season 2-2 at the Gulf Coast Invitational. They have not dropped a contest since a 6-2 loss against #23 Saint Leo on February 3rd. UNA leads the league in batting average (.363), earned run average (1.35) and fielding percentage (.976).

Kara Brewer (.479) leads the team with 34 hits and a .620 slugging percentage, while Hannah Shollenberger (.411) paces the squad with 20 RBI. Reagan Tittle (.312) has a team-best four home runs along with Harley Stokes (.417), and Bailey Nelson (.386) leads the squad with five doubles and 25 runs scored.

All three regular starting pitchers have been dominant for the Lions this season, led by Megan Garst (10-1, 1.18 ERA), who has a team-high 72 strikeouts and just 16 walks. Brittany Ledbetter (4-1, 1.40 ERA) has two saves on the year, while Lake Distefano (9-0, 1.69 ERA) has yet to take a loss on the season.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and started competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.
 
The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.
 
For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.