Southwest Mississippi Softball traveled to Alabama on February 5-6 for doubleheaders against Coastal Alabama North and Reid State Technical College, according to head coach Shea Johnson.
The Lady Bears split their doubleheader on February 5 against Coastal Alabama North. They lost the first game 7-6 but had a strong showing from pitcher Allie Ladnier, who recorded seven strikeouts. The second game was called early due to darkness with Southwest leading 14-8 after four innings. Corin Talbot and Tristan Allen each hit a home run and had two hits in that game, while Bailey McLin added two hits.
On February 6, Southwest swept Reid State in two games, winning 12-3 and 12-0. In the first game, pitcher Corin Talbot threw five innings with 11 strikeouts and allowed only one hit. Allie Ladnier pitched the final two innings, striking out three. Tristan Allen hit two home runs and drove in four RBIs to lead the offense. Other contributors included McLin, Kate Clements, Madalyn Ashford, and Presleigh Atwood, each with a stolen base.
The Lady Bears completed the sweep with a 12-0 victory in five innings via mercy rule. Jana Phillips and Alexis Dejean each homered, with Phillips driving in six RBIs and Dejean three. Ladnier and Ballard Kraft combined for five strikeouts and just one hit allowed on the mound. Phillips and Ashford each stole a base in the game.
Johnson praised the team’s performance, saying, “Really proud of the way we hit it and pitched it! We need to be a little better on the defensive side, but we did improve on day two defensively. Super proud of our bats! Our team is still growing every outing. I think the future is bright for this group.”
Southwest Mississippi improves to 5-2 on the season and will continue on the road to face Baton Rouge Community College on February 12.
