Conroe, Texas — The Mississippi College Choctaws delivered a strong performance Saturday night, earning a 7-4 victory over the No. 1-ranked and defending national champion UT Tyler Patriots during the second day of the DII First Pitch Invitational.
The Choctaws combined timely power at the plate with solid pitching and defense to secure the upset over the top-ranked program. UT Tyler scored first with a run in the opening inning, but Mississippi College responded in the fourth. Blakely Gill drew a walk, and Megan Matheis hit a two-run home run to center field, giving the Choctaws a 2-1 lead.
Ellie Fryar then tripled and scored on an RBI single by Morgan Lavergne, completing a four-run inning and putting Mississippi College ahead 4-1. The Patriots tied the game in the fifth with three unearned runs, but the Choctaws responded immediately. Bella Myers hit a solo home run in the sixth to break the tie, and Mississippi College added insurance in the seventh. Shelby Samples singled, Madelyn England doubled, and Gill lined a two-RBI double to right field, extending the lead to 7-4.
Camryn Bailey pitched a complete game for the win, improving to 2-0 this season. She allowed six hits and four runs, three earned, with five strikeouts over seven innings. Lavergne led the offense with three hits and an RBI, while Gill and Matheis each drove in two runs. The team finished with 11 hits in the game.
Earlier Saturday, the Choctaws fell 5-0 to No. 13 Angelo State in their tournament opener. A.K. Willingham started on the mound for Mississippi College, with Reagan Rios providing five innings of relief and striking out five. The team was limited to just one hit in that game.
The Choctaws will continue play Sunday, facing Southeastern Oklahoma State and Texas A&M International to conclude the opening weekend in Conroe.
