| EMCC Lady Lions continue late-season push with home softball doubleheader sweep of Delta |
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SCOOBA – Completing their second straight division softball sweep, the Lady Lions of East Mississippi Community College defeated visiting Mississippi Delta Community College, 4-0 and 11-3, Tuesday afternoon at the EMCC Softball Field.
Freshman pitcher Misty Richard, a West Lauderdale product, tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout in the opener, while the Lady Lions’ nine-hit offensive effort at the plate keyed the sweep in the run-ruled nightcap. In the opener, freshman Haley Tutor’s two-out, two-run double to the left-center field gap in the first inning proved to be more than enough run support for Richard. Tutor’s clutch hit came on the heels of back-to-back singles by Allison Hauer and Paige Sheppard. EMCC tacked on solo scores in the second and fourth innings to account for the final outcome. Charly Boswell, of Northeast Lauderdale, singled home Clarkdale’s Alex Smith, who led off the second inning with a single. Two frames later, Alyssa Farr plated the Lady Lions’ fourth and final run of the game on a passed ball after she and Boswell had successive two-out singles. In improving her season’s record to 5-6, Richard was in total command within the circle. The right-hander faced just three batters over the minimum in the seven-inning contest. The only hit she allowed was a solid double off the base of the right-field wall by Delta first baseman Jessica West-Robinson. With nine strikeouts to her credit, Richard’s only other base runners allowed in the contest were via two-out walks in the fifth and sixth innings. The Lady Lions jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead after two innings in game two. Sophomore first baseman Cory Roberson drove home five of those six early runs with a pair of two-out singles. In the first inning, the former Clarkdale product knocked in Hauer and Tutor with a bloop single to right field. The next inning, Roberson’s fly ball fell between two MDCC outfielders in shallow right-center field to bring home three more runs. With EMCC starting pitcher Shelby Sheppard giving way to Richard in the fourth inning, the Lady Lions scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth when Shelby Whitt’s fly ball was dropped by Delta left fielder Kaylee Childs. The next inning, three EMCC hits and a fifth error of the game by the visitors sent home three additional insurance runs to give the Lady Lions the run-ruled triumph and their second consecutive doubleheader sweep in division play. Offensively in game two for the home team, Roberson went 2-for-4 at the plate with the five runs batted in. Tutor, a New Hope product, also had a pair of singles in the nightcap with an RBI and three runs scored. In the circle, Shelby Sheppard, of Kemper Academy, notched her team-high sixth win of the year in 11 decisions, giving up two runs on four hits in 3.1 innings of work. Coach Kate Neely’s reigning MACJC North Division champions improved to 15-22 overall on the year and 9-11 in division play. Battling for a spot in the upcoming MACJC State Softball Tournament (April 26-28), the EMCC Lady Lions stay at home to take on Coahoma Community College on Tuesday, April 17. Doubleheader action is set to begin at 1 p.m. at the EMCC Softball Field in Scooba. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 April 2012 ) |
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