| EMCC softball team drops pair at home to Itawamba |
|
|
|
SCOOBA – The East Mississippi softball team fell from the unbeaten ranks within division play by dropping a pair of home decisions, 8-3 and 9-2, to rival Itawamba Saturday afternoon on the Scooba campus.
After surrendering their first of five unearned runs in the opener in the second inning, the Lady Lions reclaimed the lead in their half of the second on a two-run home run by freshman Nashedra Barry that also scored Leigh Ellen Barefield, who had led off the inning with a double. However, the visiting Lady Indians used three hits combined with four costly EMCC errors the following frame to take a 4-2 lead after three innings. The Lady Lions committed a total of seven errors in the opener, including five miscues by the left side of the infield. Following a pair of scoreless innings, EMCC’s Barry lined a two-out home run over the left field wall off ICC starter Rebecca Rogers in the sixth to cut the deficit to 4-3. Competing in only her 10th softball game of the season after playing for head coach Sharon Thompson’s Lady Lion basketball team during the winter months, Barry, a product of Columbus High School, would later hit her third home run of the season in Saturday’s nightcap. As would prove to be the case in both contests, Itawamba put away the contest in the final frame by adding four insurance runs on four hits and another EMCC error in the seventh inning. Heather Whitworth’s two-run homer was later followed by Cyndal Cleveland’s two-out, two-run double that plated two more unearned runs for the visitors. Along with Barry’s 2-for-3 effort at the plate, freshman shortstop Celeste Fontenot went 3-for-4, including a double, to combine for five of EMCC’s eight hits in the opener. In the circle for the Lady Lions, sophomore right-hander Courtney Nunn gave up nine hits, while striking out three and walking two, in her first of two complete-game decisions on the afternoon. Similar to the opening game, Barry staked East Mississippi to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning with a towering leadoff home run to left field – her third round-tripper of the day. After being held scoreless through the first three innings, the Lady Indians took a 3-1 advantage with three runs in the fourth. A solo homer by CeCee Austin was followed later in the inning by Anna Taylor’s RBI single and a run-producing double from Jayla Hubbard. The Lady Lions trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in their half of the fourth when Barry led off the inning with a walk and later scored on Hubbard’s misplay of a Barefield fly ball to left field. ICC managed to get the run back the next inning on Lara Andrews’ RBI bloop single. With Itawamba starter Chelsea Lukens holding the home team scoreless over the final three innings, the Lady Indians broke open the contest by batting around and scoring five more runs on six hits in the seventh inning, including Austin’s towering two-run blast to left field – her second home run of the game. In being out-hit 15-7 in the nightcap, the Lady Lions received a pair of singles from former Clarkdale High School teammates Cayla Coleman and Courtney Castleberry. On the mound, Nunn again fanned three and walked a pair in going the distance for EMCC in the second contest. Head coach Kate Neely’s 8-23 EMCC Lady Lions, now 6-2 in MACJC North Division play, hit the road this week with a Tuesday divisional doubleheader at Mississippi Delta followed by a non-league twin bill Thursday at Marion Military Institute. |
|
| Last Updated ( Sunday, 28 March 2010 ) |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|