Marion, AL. – The Lady Tigers softball team started ACCC play with two wins at home against Wallace Community College-Dothan. They will travel to Dothan, Alabama Saturday, February 28, to complete the four-game series.

Game 1 MMI 10 WCCD 0 (5 innings)

Emily Rice earned her eighth win of the season, giving up four hits, no runs or walks with three strikeouts.

Marion scored two runs in their first at-bat. Nichole Dockery singled up the middle with two outs and stole second base. Destiny Brashears walked and Carlie Blanton doubled to left field, plating two runs.

The Tigers added two more runs in the second inning when Haylie Lee led off with a walk. Shelby Black sacrificed her to second. Katie Hopson hit a hard ball to third base and reached first with Lee scoring. Hopson stole second base and Alexandra Gray doubled to right field to plate Hopson.

Another two runs crossed the plate for MMI in the third inning. Brashears doubled down the first base line and moved to third on a passed ball. Blanton walked, and Abigail Phillips singled through the five-six hole to score Brashears. Lee walked. Black's fielders' choice to the shortstop scored Blanton.

The fourth inning saw four runs cross the plate for Marion. Hopson singled. Gray and Dockery walked. An infield error allowed Brashears to reach first base safely; Hopson scored. Blanton walked to score Gray. Phillips hit a sac fly to score Dockery. Lee walked. Kyren Damon walked to score Brashears.

In the top of the seventh inning, Rice got two quick flyouts before a single by Wallace's leadoff batter gave the visitors a baserunner. A 5-3 putout ended the game, giving Marion the win.

Game 2: MMI 9 WCCD 5

Haylie Lee took the circle for MMI and worked four innings, giving up four hits, one run (none earned) and no walks, with two strikeouts. Sydney Elam and Emma Parmley both saw action in relief for the Tigers.

Wallace CC-Dothan got on the scoreboard first in the first inning, but MMI answered with three runs to take an early 3-1 lead. Katie Hopson doubled to centerfield and advanced to third on an error (catcher). Alexandra Gray walked and stole second base. Nichole Dockery hit a sac fly to right field, scoring Hopson; Gray advanced to third. Destiny Brashears reached on an infield error, scoring Gray. Carlie Blanton walked and both runners advanced on a fielder's choice off the bat of Abigail Phillips. Brashears scored on a wild pitch.

Three more runs crossed the plate for MMI in the second inning as Kyren Damon reached on an infield single with one out. After Hopson popped up to the infield, Gray singled. Dockery singled, scoring Damon. Brashears singled, scoring Gray and an infield error allowed Blanton to reach first base, scoring Dockery.

Both teams were held scoreless in the third and fourth innings before the Lady Govs added two runs in the fifth inning. Once again, Marion rallied for two runs in their turn at the plate. Blanton earned a four-pitch walk and Phillips singled to right field. A wild pitch allowed both runners to advance a base. Haylie Lee hit a sac fly to left field; Blanton scored; Phillips advanced to third. Veronica Ward bunted in Phillips.

WCC-D added two runs in the sixth inning, but the Tigers answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Katie Hopson singled up the middle and Gray doubled; Hopson moved to third base. Dockery hit another sac fly, scoring Hopson.

Parmley worked the seventh inning and a double off the lead-off batter from Dothan turned into an out at third base trying to extend it into a triple. Two flyouts to the outfield ended the game, giving Marion the 9-5 win.