SAINT LEO, Fla. — Mississippi College softball team lost the first game of a doubleheader 7-6 in walk-off fashion Saturday at No. 20 Saint Leo. The second game ended in a 2-2 tie after reaching a pre-arranged time limit, according to NCAA rules.
In the opener, the Choctaws led 6-3 after six innings but Saint Leo scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win. Mississippi College took an early 4-0 lead in the sixth inning, highlighted by Shelby Samples’ home run. Madelyn England added a double, and Mary Lem and Blakely Gill contributed RBI singles. Camryn Bailey and Kate Rills also drove in runs, giving the visitors a five-run advantage.
Saint Leo responded with three runs in the sixth inning and four in the seventh to take the lead. The Lions ultimately won on a walk-off single. In the second game, Mississippi College scored two early runs. England singled to drive in Ellie Fryar, and Lem followed with an RBI single, giving the Choctaws a 2-0 lead.
Saint Leo tied the game in the third on an RBI walk and a groundout. Reagan Rios pitched six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with one strikeout. The game was halted in the seventh after Mississippi College scored three runs to take a 5-2 lead. Because the game reached the time limit of 2:15 p.m. EST and the home team did not bat in the bottom of the inning, NCAA Division II rules declared the game a tie after six full innings.
Mississippi College has faced a challenging early schedule, including games against top-ranked teams such as No. 1 UT Tyler, No. 2 Tampa, No. 13 Angelo State, and No. 20 Saint Leo. The team will return home to prepare for Gulf South Conference play, starting Feb. 20 against Montevallo at the MC Softball Complex. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT on Friday, with a doubleheader scheduled for noon and 2 p.m. Saturday.
