No. 3 MGCCC falls into losers’ bracket

PHOTO BY LEE ADAMS/LETSGOICC.COM

PERKINSTON — In a contest that oozed with a big game, playoff vibe, No. 3 Mississippi Gulf Coast came up just short in a winners' bracket showdown against No. 6 Jones.

After a rain delay that left the game starting 2.5 hours late, the Bobcats won the pitchers' duel behind a 16-strikeout effort by Nia Luckett. Emaleigh Coates (Fr., Lucedale /George County) only allowed three hits to take the hard-luck loss.

"It was a really intense game," Gulf Coast coach Kenneth Long said. "If we could have gotten a key hit here or there, I think we could have put it away. Coates pitched really well and held them down. It's a real disappointing loss, but we have to move on."

The Bulldogs (29-11), who had a seven-game win streak snapped, finished late Thursday and have to turn around Friday and play at noon. They'll face Hinds in an elimination game, with the winner playing again at 7:30 p.m.

Jones (37-7), which extended a win streak to 15 games, got a leadoff homer in the first by Tyesha Cole, and Cole's bunt in the seventh inning scored Kristian Edwards. She had doubled with one out.

Gulf Coast loaded the bases with one out in the fourth without the benefit of a hit, but couldn't get anything across. Luckett struck out the leadoff hitter who reached on a dropped third strike and wound up striking out four in the inning.

A last-gasp rally ended with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh.

"We've got to come back in the morning, put it behind us and not even think about it," Long said. "We've got to come back and play Hinds and win that ballgame."

MACCC Softball Championship

Fulton

Wednesday, May 5

Game 1: No. 6 Northeast vs. No. 3 Jones 9, No. 6 Northeast 1 (5 innings)

Game 2: No. 2 Gulf Coast 4, No. 7 Northwest 1

Game 3: No. 1 Itawamba 6, No. 8 Hinds 1

Game 4: No. 5 Pearl River vs. No. 4 Copiah-Lincoln, 7:30 pm

Thursday, May 6

Game 5: Northwest 12, Northeast 6 (Northwest eliminated)

Game 6: Hinds 5, Pearl River 1 (Pearl River eliminated)

Game 7: Jones 2, Gulf Coast 0

Game 8: Itawamba vs. Copiah-Lincoln, 10:30 p.m.

Friday, May 7

Game 9: Gulf Coast vs. Hinds, noon (Elimination game)

Game 10: Loser Game 8 vs. Northwest, 2:30 p.m. (Elimination game)

Game 11: Jones vs. Winner Game 8, 5 pm

Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 7:30 pm (Elimination game)

Saturday, May 8

Game 13: Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 1 pm (Elimination game)

Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 3:30 pm

Game 15: Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14, 6 pm, if necessary

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.