LIVINGSTON, Ala. --- The Mississippi College softball team rebounded from a tough opener in a big way to pick up a doubleheader split against West Alabama on Saturday afternoon at the MC Softball Complex.

UWA opened the day with a 3-1 win, while MC bounced back with a 9-2 win in the nightcap.

The Lady Choctaws moved to 34-11 on the season with a 17-8 record in the Gulf South Conference, while the Tigers are now 26-18 with a 15-10 league mark.

MC has already clinched a spot in the Gulf South Conference Tournament and can get as high as the No. 2 seed following next weekend's action.
 

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GAME ONE: WEST ALABAMA 3, MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 1

HOW IT HAPPENED

>> The game's opening run was scored in the third inning as Kierra Hague sent a shot over the left-field wall that gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
>> They would tack on two more runs in the fifth on back-to-back squeeze bunts by Alli Craft and Grace Self to take a 3-0 advantage.
>> MC would put runners on base in every inning, including loading the bases in the sixth but could not score until the final frame.
>> The Lady Choctaws' lone run of the game came in the seventh when senior Kristen Qualls singled home freshman Annemarie Peavy.

KEY STATS

>> Senior Cori Cooper (11-7) took the loss for MC, allowing five hits and three earned runs with six strikeouts over 6.0 innings.
>> Qualls and senior Alexia Harmon would lead the Lady Choctaws with two hits apiece.
>> Hague led the UWA offense with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI.
>> Nora Keehn (14-7) went the distance for the Tigers, striking out a career-high 11 with just two walks.
 

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GAME TWO: MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE 9, WEST ALABAMA 

HOW IT HAPPENED

>> The second contest did not get off to a fast start either as the Tigers put up unearned runs in the second and third innings to grab a 2-0 lead after three frames.
>> Senior Brianna Caldwell responded for MC in the fourth as she hit her fifth home run of the season and 19th of her career to cut the lead in half.
>> The game-tying run scored in the fifth inning as sophomore Ashley Elsensohn singled and stole second base and crossed the plate on an infield single from junior Abbey Salvo.
>> The Lady Choctaws broke the game open in the sixth as they scored seven runs on five hits and two UWA errors.
>> Harmon led off with a single and came home to score on a double by junior Carly Crawford to give the Lady Choctaws the eventual game-winning run.
>> Qualls extended the lead to 5-2 with a two-run single that brought home junior Paige Hulin and sophomore Kayla Murphy.
>> The Lady Choctaws would put up four more runs in the frame, including an RBI single by freshman Gracie Trahan that scored freshman Grace Hahn.
>> Freshman Hannah Creel would make the big lead stand up as she tossed two scoreless innings to get the doubleheader split.

KEY STATS

>> Creel (15-3) did not allow an earned run over the complete game effort, striking out eight.
>> Qualls led the MC offense with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI.
>> Eight other Lady Choctaws scored runs and tallied hits in the contest.
>> Carleigh Mills (5-3) took the loss in the circle for UWA, giving up five hits and three earned runs over 5.0 innings.
>> Grace Self and Nicole Buccieri each had a pair of hits for the Tigers.
 

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NEXT UP

>> The Lady Choctaws will have five home games this week, beginning on Wednesday when they host Miles for a doubleheader at 4:00 p.m. at the MC Softball Complex. MC will then welcome rival Delta State to Clinton for a three-game series beginning on Saturday.
 

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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.