Lady Choctaws sweep Delta State
MC Softball Team (Courtesy of MC Athletics)
By Datti Jinkiri
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is one of the toughest Division II softball conferences in the country, with three teams (Valdosta State, Auburn Montgomery, West Florida) ranked in the top 25. The Mississippi College softball team has played all three of the these teams as well as Alabama Huntsville, a team which is receiving votes in the national poll. They won just twice against these opponents, though the two victories were hard earned.
However, the Lady Choctaws recovered nicely this weekend, picking up three key road wins and sweeping in-state rival Delta State. They won 5-2 on Friday and finished the Saturday doubleheader with 12-10 and 8-7 wins. The Lady Choctaws moved up to eighth in the GSC standings, which is the final qualifying spot for the conference tournament.
The Lady Choctaws batted .351 as a team and averaged a shade over eight runs per game in the series. Infielder Jenna Ergle was named GSC Co-Player of the Week after going six-for-eight at the dish with two home runs and seven runs batted in. The graduate student drove in the winning run in game two with a sacrifice fly, and she homered twice in game three – including a key two-run insurance shot in the sixth inning.
Senior Annemarie Peavy had a big statistical game in game two, batting three-for-four with two doubles, a home run, and six runs batted in. She is tied for fourth in the GSC with nine home runs. The 2019 All-GSC selection is also tied for ninth in the conference with 31 runs batted in this season.
Freshman Bailee Avant went two-for-four in game three, but her biggest contribution came on Friday. Her two-run double in the top of the seventh inning broke a 2-2 tie and propelled the Lady Choctaws to a comeback victory.
Next Series
Just four GSC series remain for the Lady Choctaws this season. They will be back in action tomorrow and Friday for a key series as they host Montevallo, the fourth-placed team in the conference. First pitch on Thursday is set for 5:00 p.m at Hinds Community College, with a doubleheader to follow on Friday at Mississippi College (1:00 p.m. / 3:00 p.m).
