HUNTSVILLE, Ala. --- The Mississippi College softball team opened the Charger Chillout 2.0 with a pair of wins over Kentucky Wesleyan (6-4) and Missouri-St. Louis (4-2) on Friday afternoon at the Kiwanis Metro Sportsplex.
 

---

GAME ONE: MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 6, KENTUCKY WESLEYAN 4

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both offenses got off to fast starts as the Lady Choctaws (4-2) put up four runs in the first inning with the big blow coming from senior Brianna Caldwell's three-run double with no outs.'

Caldwell would come home to score on a double-steal attempt to give MC a 4-0 lead before the Panthers had an at-bat.

KWC answered with two runs in their half of the first as the first three batters singled to help make the score 4-2.

The Panthers (0-1) cut the lead in half again as Jamie Tempel drove in a run with a two-out double, bringing the Lady Choctaw lead down to 4-3.

Freshman Annemarie Peavy and senior Alexia Harmon got the run back for MC with back-to-back two-out doubles, and when Peavy crossed home plate, the score was 5-3.

Peavy accounted for another two-out run in the fifth inning she singled home pinch-runner Abbey Salvo with two away to extend the lead to 6-3.

Jaylin Tidwell brought home the final run of the contest in the fifth inning with a single, but it was as close as KWC would get in the final innings.

KEY STATS

Senior Adrianna Morgan (1-1) made the lead stand up by pitching the final 5.0 innings out of the bullpen, scattering four hits and an earned run.

Senior Penny Nichols started the contest and the two hurlers combined to not allow a single walk in the game.

Peavy was the lone Lady Choctaw to record a multi-hit game, while the top five batters in the lineup each had a hit and a run scored in the contest.

Maci Brown (0-1) took the loss for the Panthers, allowing seven hits and six earned runs with four walks and two strikeouts over 6.0 innings.

Tidwell led the KWC offensive attack with two hits and two RBI.
 

---

GAME TWO: MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 4, MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS 2

HOW IT HAPPENED

Caldwell got the offense going in the second game, as well, driving in two runs with a single to make the score 2-0.

MC would add the eventual game-winning run in the fourth inning as junior Morgan Bradford drew a leadoff walk and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from freshman Gracie Trahan.

Sophomore Kayla Murphy attempted to sacrifice her over to third base, but a throwing error by the Tritons (0-2) chased Bradford home to make the score 3-0.

That would be all the offense senior Cori Cooper would need as she went the distance in the circle, tossing six scoreless frames before giving up a couple runs in the seventh.

The Lady Choctaws would add an insurance run in the sixth inning as Harmon and Bradford led off with singles, and sophomore Ashley Elsensohn drove Harmon in with a two-out single.

UMSL got on the board in the seventh with a run on a sacrifice fly and a two-out double, but a line drive to Peavy closed out the game, stranding the tying runs at second and third.

KEY STATS

Cooper (1-1) struck out four and walked just one over 7.0 innings, also scattering seven hits and two earned runs.

The Lady Choctaw offense put together just four hits but drew seven free passes with four walks and three hit-by-pitches.

Mimi Bradley (0-1) took the loss for UMSL, allowing four hits and three earned runs over 6.0 innings with five strikeouts.

Lizzy Miller led the Triton offense with two hits in the contest.
 

---

NEXT UP

The Lady Choctaws have four games left in the Charger Chillout 2.0, including two Saturday contests against Henderson State (11:00 am) and #1 Southern Indiana (3:00 pm).
 

---

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 will be 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.