Southwest Mississippi Softball traveled to Perkinston on Tuesday, April 7, for a doubleheader against Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Lady Bears lost both games, 6-3 and 7-6, according to team reports.
Allie Ladnier pitched all of game one, allowing six runs in six innings with one strikeout. The game was tied 3-3 after five innings. Southwest scored on an Ladnier double, a Madalyn Ashford single, and a Bailey McLin single. Gulf Coast scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth and secured the win after holding the Lady Bears scoreless in the seventh.
Bailey McLin led the team with two hits, including a double and an RBI. Madalyn Ashford, Allie Ladnier, Alexis Dejean, and Jana Phillips each had one hit. Ladnier and McLin each had a double, and McLin, Ashford, and Ladnier each drove in one run. Phillips and Ashford stole a base in game one.
In game two, Mary Claire Salley started on the mound but took the loss after 1.2 innings. Tye Boone pitched 4.1 innings, giving up three runs. Southwest trailed 5-0 after three innings but rallied in the fifth, with back-to-back home runs from Kate Clements and Tristan Allen to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Gulf Coast responded with two runs to make it 7-2. The Lady Bears made a late push in the seventh, with Ladnier singling and Dejean hitting a home run to bring the score to 7-4. Clements then drew a walk, and Allen hit her second home run of the game, narrowing the gap to 7-6. Despite the rally, the team fell short after three consecutive outs.
Allen led all players with two home runs and three RBIs, extending her season record to 16 homers, the most in Southwest history. Clements, Ladnier, Dejean, and Phillips each contributed one hit. Dejean and Clements also homered. Dejean and Allen each drove in two runs, with Clements adding one.
The Lady Bears, now 23-11 overall and 10-8 in conference, are scheduled to host Pearl River on Thursday, April 9, aiming to end a five-game losing streak.
