CLINTON, Mississippi – A three-run rally in the bottom of the third in game one and two-run home run in game two proved to be the difference as the Delta State softball team dropped both games of the doubleheader to Mississippi College on Friday, April 28, at the MC Softball Complex. The Lady Choctaws defeated the Lady Statesmen 4-2 in game one and 3-1 in game two to clinch the series win.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final (GM1): Mississippi College 4 | Delta State 2
Final (GM2): Mississippi College 3 | Delta State 1
Location: MC Softball Complex | Clinton, Miss.
Records: Delta State (21-24, 14-18 GSC) | MC (30-18, 20-10 GSC)
Get Social: @DeltaStateSB
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
- The game remained scoreless until the top of the third when Mari Alex Sandridge smashed a two-out double to centerfield, scoring Jordan Jones to give Delta State a 1-0 lead. Madison Zoeller followed with an RBI single to centerfield that scored Sandrdidge for Delta State's second run of the inning.
- In the bottom of the third, Tylan Buckley singled to third base, scoring Haley Thompson for Mississippi College's first run of the game. Kristen Qualls followed with an RBI double to score Buckley and the Lady Choctaws tied the game, 2-2. The Lady Choctaws took the lead when Carly Crawford doubled to centerfield, scoring Qualls to give MC the lead, 3-2.
- The Lady Choctaws took a 4-2 lead on a sac fly by Buckley in the bottom of the fourth.
- Delta State started to make a comeback in the top of the seventh when Jones was hit by a pitch and Sandridge walked to lead off the inning. Jones and Sandridge advanced to third and second on a sac bunt by Zoeller, but a double play ended the game.
- Sandridge (5-8) suffered the loss. In six innings of work, she allowed four runs, all earned, on 10 hits and struck out five.
- Adrianna Morgan (7-5) earned the win. In seven innings of work, she allowed two runs, all earned, on five hits and struck out three.
- The Lady Statesmen recorded five hits in game one, but left eight runners stranded.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 2
- Both teams were locked in a pitcher's duel, until the bottom of the fourth when the Lady Choctaws found the breakthrough. Kristen Qualls' two-run home run to centerfield put MC up 2-0.
- In the bottom of the fifth, Katherine Lee singled, scoring Megan Everett for MC's third run of the game.
- In the top of the sixth, Colben Patin singled up the middle, scoring Madison Zoeller for Delta State's lone run of the game.
- Bailie Springfield (8-6) suffered the loss. In six innings, she gave up three runs, all earned, on five hits.
- Kristen Gardner (3-3) earned the win in the circle for the Lady Choctaws. In seven innings of work, she gave up one run, earned, on seven hits.
STAT OF THE DAY
- All of Delta State's runs came with two outs.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- Jordan Jones swiped her 19th bag of the season.
- The 10 hits Sandridge sacrificed in game one are the most she has given up in a single game. The four earned runs Sandridge allowed tie the most she has given up all season. The last time Sandridge gave up four runs was in Delta State's 7-0 loss to North Alabama.
- Madison Zoeller recorded her 12th multi-hit game of the season. She extended her hitting streak to seven games—her longest of the season.
- The two doubles MC recorded in game one tie the second most they have hit in a single game this season.
- MC struck out five times in game one, the third most strikeouts the Choctaws have recorded this season.
- The loss in game one snapped a four-game winning streak for the Lady Statesmen—their longest of the season.
- Carlie Vice has reached base safely in the past 10 games.
- The Lady Statesmen fall to 4-7 in two-run games.
- The last meeting between the two teams before the 2015 season was a 9-3 victory for DSU in 1996. Since then, Delta State holds a 6-3 advantage over the Lady Choctaws.
UP NEXT
The Lady Statesmen will wrap up the season and series with a single game against the Lady Choctaws on Saturday, April 29, at 3 p.m.
