The Lady Tigers improved to 22-12 overall and 11-1 in ACCC North conference play after defeating Calhoun Community College three games this past weekend.  Marion will face Central Alabama Community College this week in another ACCC North four-game series.  Thursday's doubleheader will be played in Alexander City with game one scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m.  MMI will return home to finish the series Saturday, March 25, with a 12:00 p.m. start time.

GAME 1: MMI 2 Calhoun 3 (8 innings)

Calhoun CC gave MMI their first ACCC North loss after Marion tied the game in the sixth inning and sent it into extra innings. Kinley Bolton took the loss from the circle, working all eight innings.  She gave up six hits, three runs (two earned) and one walk while striking out twelve batters.

Alexandra Erwin and Carly Taylor each had two hits with Taylor recording a double and an RBI while Erwin scored once.  Also getting hits for MMI was Karlee Pierson (1-for-3), Krislin Estes (1-for-3), and Jayden Kendrick (1-for-3, 1R).

GAME 2: MMI 11 Calhoun 10

Freshman Jaylee Crow was able to keep Calhoun from scoring the tying run in the seventh inning to earn the win from the circle for Marion.  She worked 3.1 innings and gave up two hits, one run (none earned) and three walks.  Harleigh Anderson started for the Lady Tigers and was relieved by freshman Ashley Maddox.

Avary Lumpkin finished 2-for-3 with a homerun, a walk, and an RBI while scoring three runs to pace the Lady Tigers at the plate.  Freshman third baseman, Krislin Estes, went 2-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored.

Alexandra Erwin (1-for-4, BB, 2 RBI), Karlee Pierson (1-for-4, BB, RBI), Jessica Cross (1-for-3, BB, 2R), and Carly Taylor (1-for-4, 2B, 2R, RBI) all had hits in the win.

Game 3: MMI 9 Calhoun 0

Marion took a lead after their first at-bat as Alexandra Erwin singled to left field and took second on an error by the Warhawks' catcher.  Karlee Pierson brought Erwin across the plate with a single up the middle.

Two more runs crossed the plate for MMI in the third inning.  With two outs Avary Lumpkin reached on an infield error and Krislin Estes walked.  Caroline Willis singled to center field to score Lumpkin.  Carly Taylor reached on another infield error and Estes was allowed to score; Lady Tigers up 3-0.

With sophomore Kinley Bolton keeping the Calhoun batters from scoring, Marion plated six runs in he bottom of the fourth inning to put the game out of reach.  Jaqulyn Braswell led off with a triple to right field.  Karlee Pierson tripled over the centerfielder's head to score Braswell.  Jessica Cross blasted a two-run homerun off the batting cage in MMI's next plate appearance.  Avary Lumpkin followed with a line drive homerun to keep the rally going.  Caroline Willis added another homerun in the inning to add Marion's fifth run.  Carly Taylor bunted for a hit and with two outs Erwin doubled to score Taylor.

Bolton worked a 1-2-3 fifth inning to give herself a five-inning shutout and the victory.

Game 4:MMI 5 Calhoun 2

Kinley Bolton started in the circle for Marion and kept the Warhawks scoreless until the fifth inning.

Marion scored two runs in the third inning when Carly Taylor singled to left field and Jazmin Healy sacrificed her to second.  Alexandra Erwin doubled, scoring Taylor.  Karlee Pierson tripled allowing Erwin to cross the plate.

The Lady Tigers added another run in the fourth inning when Avary Lumpkin connected for her second homerun of the day, this time over the right field fence.

After Calhoun added a run in the fifth inning, MMI added two more runs in the bottom half of the inning.  Karlee Pierson singled with two outs and Jessica Cross hit her second homerun of the day; Lady Tigers up 5-1.

After Bolton gave up a run in the seventh inning, Head Coach Jeff Benson turned to sophomore Harleigh Anderson for close out the game.  After the first batter reached on an error, Anderson got back-to-back pop flies to give the Lady Tigers the series victory.