Lady Wolves split with Southwest
Published 5:00 am Thursday, April 26, 2007
WESSON — The Southwest Mississippi Community College Lady Bearsmade history Wednesday, beating the Co-Lin Lady Wolves 1-0 in thenightcap. Sophomore Brynna Wallace delivered an RBI triple in thetop of the seventh to provide the margin of victory.
Co-Lin held off Southwest 4-3 in the first game. Southwest’s winwas believed to be the first-ever fastpitch softball victory overthe Lady Wolves.
The 25-13 Lady Wolves, coached by Allen Kent, play their finalhome game Saturday, hosting South Division leader Gulf Coast. Thefirst game begins at 11 a.m. Co-Lin stands at 7-7 in the South.
Southwest (9-19, 3-11) concludes its season Saturday, hostingPearl River Community College for a South twinbill, starting at 11a.m.
“That was a big win for us,” said Southwest first-year headcoach Patsy Sandifer. “Co-Lin had beaten us bad early in the year.My team is very determined and they just kept battling.”
Co-Lin 4, Southwest 3
Southwest took a 1-0 lead over Co-Lin in the second inning.
Co-Lin came back with 3 runs in the bottom of the third for a3-1 lead. Candace Braxton singled and stole second. Emily Langleysingled in Braxton then stole second and went to third n a passedball. Langley scored the second run on another passed ball. ErinDouglass singled and advanced on a passed ball. Douglass scored offof 2 fly balls.
In the fourth inning, catcher Kaylin Burke singled, then stolesecond. Douglass singled and Meleah Brown drove in Burke with asingle down the left field line.
The Bears cut their deficit to 4-3 on a 2-run home run by Wessongraduate Bethany Dykes in the 6th inning. The homer, her second ofthe season, cleared the left-center field fence by severalfeet.
“It felt good,” said Dykes, describing the homer. “We wanted tobeat Co-Lin.” Dykes had homered earlier in the season againstLSU-Eunice.
Brown (7-4). a freshman from Bogue Chitto, was the winningpitcher with 7 strikeouts, 2 walks and 8 hits allowed.
Brown said the home plate umpire didn’t’ give her the corners ofthe plate. “It was a tight strike zone so I had to throw a lot offastballs. When I got ahead in the count, she (Dykes) turned on afastball.”
Dykes also doubled and singled in the loss.
Alex Pigott absorbed the loss. She gave up 9 hits.
Douglass and Brown each had 2 hits for Co-Lin. Hitting safelywere Allyson Wallace and Annie Selman.
“We played just good enough to win,” said Co-Lin head coachAllen Kent. “The game could have gone either way. We weren’tpatient at the plate.”
Southwest 1, Co-Lin 0
The game was scoreless until the seventh. Southwest managed asingle from Pigott and a 2-out triple by Wallace, a sophomore fromBogue Chitto, to plate the game’s only run.
Losing hurler Caroline Burks (4-1) went the distance with 4strikeouts, 1 walk and 6 hits allowed.
“Caroline really stepped up big in a must-win game for us,” saidKent. “We just didn’t give her any run support.”
The Lady Wolves finished with 3 hits, coming on singles byLangley, Burke and Braxton.
Brittany Williamson, a sophomore from McComb (Parklane) pickedup the win.
“It’s a really tough loss,” said Kent. “Now we have to have somehelp and we need to sweep Gulf Coast to have a chance at theplayoffs. I think its the first time Southwest has ever beatenCo-Lin.
“We dressed 11 players again due to injuries but I still feellike we have a very good team on the field,” Kent pointed out. “Wejust have to find a way to make it happen.”