LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama softball team split a twin bill with No. 10 Mississippi College, falling 10-8 in game one, and defeated the Choctaws in an eight-inning ball game, 10-9, in game two.
Game 1: Mississippi College 10, West Alabama 8
With the bases loaded, Kamryn Eaton got the Lady Choctaws on the board first with an RBI single in the top of the first.
Ann Marie Stanbridge sparked a three-run inning for the Tigers in the bottom of the first, reaching second off an error by Eaton in center field, allowing Kelsie Gilliam to score from second base.
Riley Sullivan and Mary Grace Sheffield followed up with back-to-back RBI singles to give UWA a 3-1 lead.
Emily Rigney got the Lady Choctaws back on the board in the top of the second with an RBI triple, cutting the lead to 3-2.
Jordan Lafosse gave the visitors back the lead, 4-3, with a two-run shot.
Jordan Moore added to the MC lead in the top of the third with an RBI single.
West Alabama pulled back within one in the bottom of the third, 5-4, with a Marissa Mitchell solo shot to dead center.
The Choctaws did not go away at the plate, as McCall Lee tacked on some more cushion with an RBI single in the top of the fourth to make it a 6-4 advantage.
Eaton followed Lee's RBI knock with a two-run homer to left field to make it an 8-4 advantage.
Lee and Eaton kept their feet on the gas, hitting back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth inning to give the Lady Choctaws a 10-4 lead.
Down six runs going to the bottom of the seventh, Mitchell gave the Tigers new life with her second home run of the game to cut the lead to four, 10-6.
After back-to-back walks by Stanbridge and Riley Sullivan, Sheffield laced an RBI knock to make it a 10-7 affair.
During Eleanor De Block's plate appearance, and with runners at the corners, Sheffield took off for second base. While getting her in a rundown that would be unsuccessful, Sullivan scored on the play to make it 10-8.
De Block would later reach to put the winning run at the plate and only one out, but a strikeout and pop out ended the ball game and sealed the series for MC.
Marissa Mitchell, who was listed as one of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's Division II Players to Watch, brought her home run total for the year to 16 after her two bombs and totaled three hits overall in the opener.
Game 2: West Alabama 10, Mississippi College 9 (8 innings)
Jordan Lafosse got the Lady Choctaws on the board in the top of the first, 1-0, with a solo home run over the left field fence.
In the third, Kelsie Gilliam evened the contest at one apiece.
Kamryn Eaton pulled the advantage back into the favor of the Lady Choctaws in the top of the fourth with a two-run homer.
UWA, after getting two quick outs in the bottom of the fourth, showed great discipline to get back in the inning. After back-to-back walks by Emily Cowart and Madison Wright, Kori Young loaded the base with a hit by pitch.
Gilliam responded with a bases loaded walk to make it a 3-2 affair.
Next up, Taylor Clegg hit an two-run double to take their first lead of the game, 4-3.
Following a Marissa Mitchell walk and an MC pitching change, Anne Marie Stanbridge blew the Tiger lead wide open, sending a grand slam over the left center field wall to take an 8-3 lead.
Unfortunately, the Lady Choctaws would not go away with an RBI single by Jordan Lafosse and an Eaton two-run knock to make it an 8-6 contest.
After a quick inning on defense, Lafosse got right back to work in the top of the sixth, hitting a three-run homer to give MC the lead again, 9-8.
In the bottom half of the inning, a lead off home run by Clegg made things even again at nine runs apiece.
Madison Wright took care of business in the top of the seventh. After back-to-back singles with one out, Wright slammed the door with back-to-back outs to keep the game even.
Camryn Bailey struck out two Tiger batters in the process of firing a 1-2-3 inning, which sent the game to extra innings.
Wright mowed down the Lady Choctaws in the top of the eighth with a three-up, three-down inning.
In the bottom half of the frame, after Clegg reached second on a double, Ann Marie Stanbridge called game in the bottom of the eighth, hitting an RBI double to take the game two win.
Ann Marie Stanbridge led the Tigers with five RBIs on the afternoon thanks to a 2-for-5 day at the plate.
Taylor Clegg posted a 3-for-4 day at the plate with three runs scored and four RBIs.
Following Saturday's action, West Alabama moves to 21-13 overall and 10-11 in Gulf South Conference play. Mississippi College goes to 26-6 and 11-4.
The Tigers will stay home and take on Tuskegee in a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday evening. The first pitch of game one is set for 4 p.m. at the UWA Softball Complex.
