Sophomores sweep in style
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mississippi Delta Community College | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
|
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 | X | 9 | 13 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mississippi Delta Community College | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
|
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 1 |
PERKINSTON — No. 4 Mississippi Gulf Coast closed out the softball regular season Sunday with a pair of routine wins over Mississippi Delta on Sophomore Day at Ross-Smith Field.
The Bulldogs sent off 13 players, managers and trainers with 8-0 and 13-4 victories, both in five innings.
"They have set out to be a great team, and they've accomplished a whole lot," Gulf Coast coach Kenneth Long said. "We've been No. 2, 3 or 4 in the nation just about that whole year, and that says a lot because this conference is so tough. These sophomores will leave a legacy for sure."
Long, who stepped in midseason on an interim basis, recruited all the players to Gulf Coast. Including last year's COVID-shortened season, the sophomore class went 42-10 and lost only four times in 30 MACCC games.
There remains a slim chance the Bulldogs (28-10, 24-4 MACCC) could win the conference regular-season crown and host the state tournament. They need Itawamba to lose twice at Meridian on Monday.
The Indians need one win to host the eight-team, double-elimination tournament, which will be played May 5-8. Five MACCC teams will advance to the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament, with the regular-season champ already locking in a bid.
"I like where our pitching is at right now," Long said. "We're getting better pitching now. We'll come back and practice good late next week and we'll be ready to go."
Case in point: Emaleigh Coates (Fr., Lucedale /George County) threw a two-hitter in Sunday's opener. She struck out five and walked one to improve to 5-1 with a save and a 1.08 ERA in her last seven outings.
K.K. Agner (Fr., Horn Lake/Magnolia Heights) and Rakeya Travis (So., Poplarville/Poplarville) homered among two hits each for Gulf Coast. Alexis Laughlin (So., Hurley/East Central) had three hits, including a triple, and three RBI. A'Mya Stevens (So., Laurel/Northeast Jones) doubled.
Kristian Jones (Fr., Southaven/DeSoto Central) ended the second game with a three-run homer and drove in four. Laughlin and Shores drove in two each, and Breanna Green (Fr., Saraland, Ala./Saraland) had a double.
Hannah Herrington (So., Enterprise/Enterprise) threw a three-hitter in the second game.
For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.
