MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Mississippi University for Women softball team scored early versus unbeaten Cortland State before falling by an 11-7 score, then bouncing back to thump Skidmore College, 15-5, in its second game of the day. The Owls improved their record to 11-5.
After the Red Dragons (6-0) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, The W mounted an assault of its own in the bottom of that same frame. And junior transfer
Alysa Newman had a big part of the Owls' scoring runs.
In the bottom of the first, designated player
Rylie Grisham (2-3) had an RBI single, followed by a two-run double from Newman that gave the Owls the lead.
Maiya Joe's (0-4) ground-out RBI put The W ahead, 4-2.
In the bottom of the third, Newman ripped a sacrifice fly to leftfield, plating
Abby Schlude (1-1), to make it 5-2 and The W eying a possible upset.
However, in the fourth, the Red Dragons roared to life to score six times and chase Owls' starter
Avery Byerley (1-2). Byerley was charged with eight runs, but just four of which were earned.
Grisham took over in the circle and was touched up for a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh give Cortland an 11-5 cushion.
In the bottom of the seventh, Newman did her best to keep The W hopes alive by slapping a two-run double to make it the final 11-7 score.
Newman finished the game 3-for-3 with five runs batted in, to go along with the two doubles.
Madison Crosby (2-4, 2 runs) and
Riley Phillips (2-3, run) also had multi-hit games.
Senior shortstop
Jessica Deming (1-3) had her string of consecutive successful stolen bases snapped at 17 – dating back to 4/26/22 versus Lane and 14-of-14 prior in 2023 – when she was thrown out in the sixth inning trying to swipe second after drawing a walk.
Versus Skidmore, The W and the Thoroughbreds were in a neck-and-neck race midway through the contest, before MUW erupted for 10 runs in the fifth to end the game on the run-rule.
In the top of the second inning, MUW tallied four times to break open the scoreless affair.
Laikyn Wright's two-run single was followed by an RBI single from
Jessica Deming. A bases-loaded walk by
Jaelynn Palmer made it 4-0.
Skidmore got a run in its half of the third, only to have the Owls get it back in the fourth on a
Macy Nordquist ground-out RBI, 5-1. Three runs in the bottom of the fourth by the Thoroughbreds made it a tight race, 5-4, heading down to the wire.
In the top of the fifth, MUW had its biggest inning of the season, thus far, crossing the plate 10 times. In all, The W sent 14 batters to the dish. The damage was done thanks to a two-run double by Wright and six walks issued by the Skidmore hurlers, four coming with the bases loaded to drive in a run.
Wright was 2-for-2, with two runs scored and four runs batted in. Newman had another good game, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Deming also had multiple hits, going 2-for-3.
Bailey McClellan (2-2) earned the victory, going 4.0 innings. She struck out three and walked one. McClellan was charged with five runs, four earned, and all six of the Thoroughbred hits. Grisham threw a perfect fifth to close out matters.
