Thrilling comeback, walk-off win ignites EMCC home softball sweep over Meridian

SCOOBA – The home-standing Lions of East Mississippi Community College rode the momentum gained from a thrilling 3-2 comeback, walk-off win in the opening game to sweep Meridian Community College with an 8-3 nightcap victory during Saturday's MACCC softball doubleheader action played at the EMCC Softball Field.

The opening contest featured a classic pitchers' duel between EMCC's Gail Wisher and Meridian's Hannah Capello, as both starters threw six scoreless innings before an eventful final frame. Leading up to the climactic seventh inning, both teams had five hits apiece but neither managed to safely advance a base runner to third base.

The entertaining final frame started similarly through the respective teams' first three batters with the first two hitters from the lower third of the lineups reaching base followed by sacrifice bunts to advance the runners into scoring position. The visiting Lady Eagles opened the inning with Dakota Haynsworth singling and Raegan King following with a well-placed bunt just in front of home plate. After Paige Berry bunted the runners over, Rylee Turner followed with a two-run single for the game's first two scores.

With Meridian owning the momentum and Capello having struck out the side the previous inning, EMCC's dramatic comeback in the bottom of the seventh began with consecutive singles by Raylea Atkinson and Brianna Byrd. After Rachel Rommel advanced the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Victoria Irby went opposite field and smacked the ball over the right fielder's head. The speedy Irby never hit the brakes around the bases and raced home behind her teammates for the game-winning, inside-the-park home run.

Irby's three-run game winner was her second hit of the game to lead EMCC's eight-hit team effort in the opener.

With her 11^th complete game of the year, Gail Wisher scattered seven hits while improving to 8-9 on the season with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Riding the momentum gained from Irby's late-game heroics in the opener, the Lions got on the scoreboard first in the nightcap by manufacturing a pair of runs off Haynsworth in the second inning.

After the two teams traded solo scores in the third inning to make it a 3-1 game, the Lions broke open the contest with a five-run fourth frame. Rachel Rommel's leadoff double was followed by Karen Wisher's two-run, inside-the-park home run into the right field corner for her third homer of the year and 10^th of her EMCC career. A two-run triple by Madison Newburn and Gail Wisher's run-scoring groundout stretched the Lions' lead to 8-1.

Though the visitors scored two runs in the seventh inning on Hannah Buckley's sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Allie Loftin, EMCC freshman pitcher Allee Bennett was able to complete the game in the circle and pick up her first collegiate win. The St. Patrick Catholic High School product scattered nine hits with three strikeouts and two walks in the victory.

Sasha King's 3-for-4 outing of the plate in the nightcap, including a double amidst the Lions' five-run fourth, paced EMCC's nine-hit team effort. Rommel added two hits in three at-bats for the Lions.

With their second season sweep over Meridian in the past three years, head coach Mackenzie Byrd's EMCC Lions improved to 12-20 overall and 8-12 in MACCC play with their second conference sweep of the season. East Mississippi is set to hit the road against a pair of nationally ranked MACCC opponents this coming week. A Wednesday (April 16) doubleheader at eighth-ranked Northwest Mississippi will be followed two days later by a Friday (April 18) twin bill at No. 14 Pearl River.