Fulton, Miss. – No. 14 Itawamba Community College softball split its conference home opener against Holmes Community College Wednesday winning game one in comeback fashion, 9-8, and dropping game two 7-2.
Game 1: Indians 9, Bulldogs 8
The Indians (15-6, 2-2 MACCC) fell behind early with Holmes scoring in the first four frames to take a 6-2 lead, but the fifth and sixth innings belonged to the Tribe.
Sammie Day-Jones (Ragland, Ala.) singled to drive in two runs in the fifth to cut Holmes' lead to 6-4, and an unconventional double play by Rayne Rippee (Sardis) in the top of the sixth kept the Bulldogs off the board.
In the sixth, Hanna Grace Gillean (Mantachie) tied the game on a two-run scoring single [video].
Julia Shaw (Hernando) gave the Indians the lead on a two-run scoring pinch hit single and Day-Jones singled to drive in an insurance run, extending the lead to 9-6 [video].
The Bulldogs answered with two runs in the top of the seventh on five hits, but Haylee Alberson (Hernando) forced a ground ball to record an out at the plate and then picked up a strikeout to secure the comeback victory.
Game 2: Bulldogs 7, Indians 2
The game started with an offensive battle as the Bulldogs plated three runs on three hits in the top of the first and the Indians answered with two runs in the bottom half on RBIs by Jessi Smith (Senatobia) and Shaw.
A solo home run in the third gave the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead and they had a chance to extend the lead in the fifth but a heads up play by Alberson get a big out at the plate after a leadoff triple.
The Indians put two runners in scoring position in the sixth but the Bulldogs were able to get out of the jam forcing a pair of ground outs.
In the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs scored three runs on four hits to put the game out of reach and to earn the split.
The Indians will have a quick turnaround as they host Mississippi Gulf Coast Thursday for a conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
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