EMCC Lions fall at Mississippi Gulf Coast to close out 2026 softball season
The Lions of East Mississippi Community College closed out their 2026 softball season with a pair of road setbacks, 7-1 and 8-1, at Mississippi Gulf Coast during Friday’s MACCC action played at Ross-Smith Field.
PERKINSTON – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College closed out their 2026 softball season with a pair of road setbacks, 7-1 and 8-1, at Mississippi Gulf Coast during Friday's MACCC action played at Ross-Smith Field.
EMCC's offensive highlights during the season-ending twin bill were freshman Hanna Boleware's fourth home run of the year to lead off the fifth inning of the nightcap along with fellow frosh Devin Bourgeois' leadoff triple in the sixth inning of the opening game. Sophomore Madison Newburn, who had singles during each game of the doubleheader, drove in Bourgeois with a sacrifice fly.
In the circle against the Bulldogs, the Lions received complete-game outings from sophomore pitchers Savannah Mitchell and Allee Bennett to close out their EMCC careers.
For the season, fourth-year head coach Mackenzie Byrd's EMCC Lions hit .279 as a team with five starting position players batting .297 or better during the season.
Newburn, a third baseman out of Wayne County High School, led EMCC in batting average (.392), slugging percentage (.664), on-base percentage (.441), hits (49), doubles (13) and total bases (83). In addition, she was second on the team with 36 runs batted in, 29 runs scored and three triples while also finishing third with five home runs on the year.
EMCC's three other everyday starters who hit over .300 for the season were freshmen Olivia Saucier (.336) and Raven Ramsey (.315) as well as sophomore Savannah Fralix (.311).
Fralix, from Haleyville, Ala., tied sophomore transfer RaMiyah Price for the team lead with seven home runs apiece while also topping the club with 38 RBIs.
Bourgeois, a freshman middle infielder from Bay High School, batted .297 and scored a team-most 31 runs for the Lions while primarily serving as the team's leadoff batter during the season.
Saucier, from Pass Christian, ranked second on the team with her .336 season batting average while teaming with Bourgeois to form EMCC's solid middle infield tandem as freshmen.
Mitchell and Bennett combined for 10 of EMCC's dozen wins on the year as second-year pitchers. Chaley Peterson picked up the Lions' other pair of victories and earned two saves. Mitchell, a California native, led the Lions with six pitching wins and nine complete games in addition to platooning with Fralix at first base. Bennett, out of St. Patrick Catholic High School, added four pitching wins while starting a team-high 18 contests in the circle with three complete games.
The unquestioned team highlight accomplishment for the Lions this past softball season was their 3-1 upset win over reigning national champion and three-time MACCC champion Copiah-Lincoln on April 3 in Scooba. In addition, EMCC earned a pair of doubleheader sweeps over Coastal Alabama-North on the year along with having swept Missouri-based Moberly Area and MACCC foe Coahoma. The 2026 Lions also added twin-bill splits with league opponent Mississippi Delta and non-conference foes Shelton State and Marion Military Institute.