MONTGOMERY, Ala. --- The Mississippi College softball team struggled at the plate as they dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Auburn Montgomery on Saturday afternoon at the AUM Softball Complex
The Lady Choctaws fell to 23-8 on the season with a 9-5 Gulf South Conference mark, while the Warhawks improved to 29-7 with a 9-6 record in the league.
GAME ONE: AUBURN MONTGOMERY 2, #21 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 1
HOW IT HAPPENED
>> Both teams were scoreless through two innings as senior
Cori Cooper stranded a pair of baserunners to keep the scoreboard clean.
>> MC broke through in the third as sophomore
Kayla Murphy singled with one out, stole second and scored on an RBI single by junior
Morgan Bradford.
>> The Warhawks scored both of their runs in the fourth as Morgan Duschell tripled home Parker Pinholster and Duschell scored the eventual game-winning run on a single by Brooke Perrigin.
>> The Lady Choctaws put together another scoring opportunity in the 6th as Bradford led off with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior
Alexia Harmon, but she was stranded to end the inning.
KEY STATS
>> Cooper (6-5) took the loss despite striking out a season-high 11 batters.
>> She allowed seven hits and two earned runs over the complete game effort.
>> Natalie Johnsey (3-1) gave up just three hits and one earned run with four strikeouts to get the win.
>> Chanel Newcomer tallied her second save of the year by tossing 3.0 scoreless inning with two strikeouts and one walk.
>> Freshman
Annemarie Peavy had MC's lone extra-base hit with a double, while Murphy had the only stolen base for the Lady Choctaws.
>> Duschell led the AUM offense with two triples, a run scored and an RBI.
>> Olivia Aycock had three hits and two stolen bases for the Warhawks.
GAME TWO: AUBURN MONTGOMERY 3, #21 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
>> The pitcher's duel in the second game saw both teams scoreless through four innings as freshman
Hannah Creel and Savanna Holmes of AUM battled.
>> The Warhawks broke through in the fifth as Pinholster led off with a double and scored on a single from Caroline Burns.
>> AUM took advantage of an MC error in the inning to add two more unearned runs.
>> The Lady Choctaws were held hitless until the seventh when junior
Carly Crawford singled with one out.
>> MC would bring the tying run to the plate with two outs in senior
Kristen Qualls, but the game ended on a groundout.
KEY STATS
>> Creel (10-2) took the loss in the circle, allowing seven hits and one earned run over 6.0 innings.
>> Holmes went the distance for the Warhawks, allowing one hit with eight strikeouts and three walks.
>> Aycock led all players with two hits while joining Burns with an RBI.
>> Senior
Brianna Caldwell drew a pair of walks for the Lady Choctaws.
NEXT UP
The Lady Choctaws will come home after their eight-game road swing and play a doubleheader against Union on Wednesday (March 27th) at 3:00 p.m. at the MC Softball Complex.
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.
#MC#
