Marion, AL. – The MMI softball team earned a doubleheader split against East Central Community College yesterday afternoon at home, dropping the first game in extra innings.

Game One MMI 5 ECCC 6 (8 innings)

East Central took a 1-0 lead after the third inning and added another run in the sixth inning.  The Warriors held a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the seventh inning when MMI tied the game and sent it into extra innings.  Maris Stinchcomb singled to lead off the inning and Jessica Cross reached on an error.  With one out Erin Babineaux doubled to score Stinchcomb and Cross. 

ECCC plated four runs in the top of the eighth inning.  Jessica Morales walked to start Marion's second comeback attempt.  Carly Taylor singled.  With two outs Jessica Cross blasted a three-run homerun to cut the lead to one run.  Babineaux followed with a single but a hit to the shortstop ended the game, giving the Lady Tigers their first loss of the spring season.

Babineaux led with three hits in four plate appearances, including a double and two RBI.  Maris Stinchcomb went 2-for-4 with a run scored.  Also getting hits for MMI were Carly Taylor, Nataley Whitner, and Jessica Cross.

Freshman Kinley Bolton took the loss, her first, in the circle after working 7.1 innings.  She gave up seven hits, five runs (two earned) with no walks and six strikeouts.  Alexus Lambert worked 0.2 innings in relief.

Game Two MMI 5 ECCC 4

Marion scored in their first plate appearance when Jessica Morales reached on an infield hit and took second on a pass ball.  Nataley Whitner singled with two outs to bring Morales home.  ECCC tied the game in the third inning and that score held until the visitors from Decatur, Mississippi added two runs in the sixth inning.

With Marion trailing 4-1 going into their last at-bat, Morales led off with a walk.  Maris Stinchcomb singled and Nataley Whitner reached on another infield hit.  With one out, Jessica Cross took an East Central pitch over left field fence for a grand slam and the walk-off victory.

Jessica Cross, Maris Stinchcomb, and Nataley Whitner each had two hits for the Lady Tigers.  Whitner and Stinchcomb also scored a run while Cross added four RBI.  Erin Babineaux and Jessica Morales also had a hit in the win.  Morales walked once and scored twice; Babineuax walked twice.

Harleigh Anderson started game two and in 5.1 innings gave up five hits, four runs (two earned), and two walks while striking out one batter.  Alexus Lambert earned her first win relieving Anderson.  In 1.2 innings, she struck out one batter while giving up two hits, a walk, and no runs.

MMI (5-1) will host ACCC South foe Bishop State Community College Thursday, February 10 for a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader.