Mitchell Powers Softball Past Itawamba

FULTON, Miss. –  Chloe Mitchell provided the late-inning heroics in game one against Itawamba Community College.

She also made sure none were needed in the second game of Wednesday's double header.

The sophomore first baseman belted two home runs and added 10 RBIs, leading the Shelton State Community College softball team to a pair of wins over Itawamba.

Mitchell's three-run home run capped a five-run seventh inning as the Lady Bucs rallied for a 7-4 win in the opener.

She belted a grand slam dead center field in the 12-7 win in game two..

For the day, Mitchell went 5-for-8 (.625) with four runs scored, one double, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs. She hit for the cycle across both games. Mitchell leads the team with six home runs and 25 RBIs this season.

Shelton State (9-5) has won four straight games and eight of its last 10 games.

Itawamba (17-3) had its 13-game winning streak snapped.

Mitchell belted a go-ahead, three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to lift the Lady Bucs to a 7-4 come-from-behind win in the opener. The Lady Bucs scored five runs in the seventh inning to erase a 4-1 deficit.

Freshman shortstop Marleigh McWilliams started the comeback with a one-out double to left field. Freshman designated player Ari Shorter reached on an infield single and sophomore Jamie Hocutt, the courtesy runner for McWilliams, moved to third base. Sophomore centerfielder Layla Bradshaw smacked a double to centerfield to score both runners to pull the Lady Bucs to within 4-3.

Freshman left fielder Anna Valentine drew a walk before Mitchell strolled to the plate and launched a three-run home run to right field to give the Lady Bucs their first lead of the day at 6-4.

Freshman right-hander Karlie Beth Beasley retied the Lady Indians in order in the seventh for the complete-game victory.

Beasley (3-3) allowed four runs (3 ER) and five hits for her third win. She added six strikeouts and walked three.

Itawamba's Ramsey Montgomery (1-2) went the distance in the circle and was charged with the loss. She allowed six runs and 10 hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.

The Lady Indians scored single runs in the first and second inning to take a 2-0 lead. AB Malar had an RBI ground out in the first inning and an error led the run in the second inning.

Shelton State got on the board in the when Shorter had a leadoff single and scored on a double by  Mitchell.

Mitchell, Shorter and Bradshaw combined for four runs, six hits and six RBIs in the first game. Mitchell went 2-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBIs in the opener. Shorter went 2-for-3 and scored two runs. Bradshaw was 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs.

Kaylin Lynch hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to push the Lady Indians lead to 4-1.

The Lady Bucs rode that momentum to a 12-7 win in game two.

Shelton State scored in each of the first five innings, including four runs in the fourth and fifth innings to build a 12-4 lead.

Williams had a two-run double and freshman second baseman Megan Wilbanks added a two-run single to give the Lady Bucs an 8-4 lead in the fourth.

Mitchell's grand slam in the fifth pushed the lead to 12-4.

Freshman left fielder Laila Watkins and Bradshaw both had three hits in game two. Watkins went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Bradshaw went 3-for-5 and scored three runs.

Sophomore catcher Ragan Landrum was 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.

McWilliams (3-0) picked up third win in the circle. She allowed four runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Sophomore Mackenzie Harper worked the final 3 2/3 innings for her first save of the season.

Shelton State is back on the diamond Monday, March 2 with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against East Mississippi Community College.