CLINTON, Miss. — Mississippi College and Union University split a Gulf South Conference softball doubleheader Saturday at the MC Softball Complex. The Choctaws earned a 1-0 victory in the opener before dropping the nightcap 5-4.
In Game 1, Reagan Rios tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing three hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. Rios improved to 2-2 this season and lowered her WHIP to 0.43. The only run scored in the fifth inning when Ashlyn Rodgers drew a leadoff walk, advanced on a fielder’s choice, and Morgan Lavergne doubled to right field to bring home Lydia Bethards.
Mississippi College’s offense also featured a key double by Lavergne, along with contributions from Shelby Samples, who drove in the game’s only run and drew a walk. Hadley Lemons stole a base and was hit by a pitch as the Choctaws secured the 1-0 win.
The nightcap saw Union take an early lead. C. Jones scored on a wild pitch in the second inning, and M. Hildebran followed with a single to score C. Goddard, making it 2-0. Mississippi College responded in the third with a triple by Sarah Lee and an RBI single from Bethards to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Choctaws took the lead in the fourth inning. Madelyn England hit a solo home run to tie the game, and later, Megan Matheis delivered a pinch-hit double. Kallee Nichols scored on a two-run homer by Blakely Gill to give MC a 4-2 advantage. Union rallied in the seventh with three runs to win 5-4, with Grace Wallis pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and four earned runs.
England finished with a home run and an RBI, while Gill recorded two hits and two RBIs. Lee added a triple and scored once, and Matheis provided a key extra-base hit. Mississippi College now stands at 11-8-1 overall and 4-2 in conference play, while Union moves to 6-11 and 3-3 in the GSC.
The Choctaws will return to action March 6-7 with a three-game road series against No. 4 Auburn University Montgomery in Montgomery, Alabama. The series begins with doubleheaders Friday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT, followed by a single game Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.
