CLINTON, Miss. --- Following a formal protest of an incorrectly officiated substitution in the March 27th softball game between Mississippi College and Union, the event has been declared a "No Contest", removing the victory from the MC schedule and the loss from the Union schedule.

The individual and team statistics will be recorded from the game, but neither team nor the pitchers will be credited with a win or a loss, based on NCAA Softball Rule 14.32. The game in question was the first game of the doubleheader which the Lady Choctaws won, 11-8.

The two schools were given the option to play the game from the "point of protest", but they were unable to mutually agree on when and where to resume play.
 

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NCAA SOFTBALL RULE 14.32 Called, Forfeited and Protested Games
14.32.3 PROTESTED GAME. When a protest is ruled valid but the game is not replayed to conclusion, it shall be declared "No contest." The record of all individual and team actions shall be recorded; however, the winning and losing pitchers shall not be designated.
 

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SUMMARY OF EVENTS

Bottom of the 2nd inning with Union leading 2-0, Mississippi College hitter #15 Gracie Trahan due up with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Coach Mackenzie Sher (Union) wanted to put her DP in to pitch. The current pitcher would be leaving the game and would thus become the OP. An inning later (3rd) with the score 3-2 in favor of Union, Sher put her staring pitcher, currently in the OP position since she was not playing defense, back into pitch. The DP, who was pitching, remained in her position as the DP. Neither the starting pitcher nor the DP had left the lineup based on these changes. To open the 5th inning, Coach Sher (Union) wanted to put her DP in to pitch again with the scored tied at 5-5. The plate umpire refused to allow Union to make this change because she believed it wasn't allowed by Rule. Coach Sher indicated her intent to protest the game at this point.
 

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The formal protest was submitted by the Union softball program and deemed valid by the NCAA Softball Secretary Rules Editor.

The Lady Choctaws will head into this weekend's series with Shorter with a record of 30-10 following the vacation of the victory. The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Friday at 2:00 p.m. with a single game on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
 

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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 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.