Monday may not have started the way the Lady Bears had hoped for, but they are pleased with the finish as Southwest fell to host Holmes 6-4 in Game 1 before battling hard to pick up a 5-4 win in 10 innings in Game 2.
 
"Anytime you can get a conference win in 10 innings, it is great," Southwest head coach Shea Johnson said. "We played well in the first game but lost a close one."
 
In the opener, the Lady Bears (13-23, 3-15 MACCC) fell behind early as the Lady Bulldogs plated two runs in the home half of the first.
 
After Southwest was unable to answer, Holmes added one more in the second on an RBI single, putting the visitors in a 3-0 hole.
 
In the fourth, however, the Lady Bears rallied to pull even. With two outs and two runners on, Anne Claire Sistrunk singled bringing in Sarah Stockstill and Robin Neblett. Following a single by Kayci Beth Wallace, Addie Bagwell hit one of her own, scoring Sistrunk and tying the game at 3.
 
The momentum built by the Lady Bears was short-lived, however, as the Lady Bulldogs jumped ahead in their half of the fourth with an RBI single.
 
Holmes added a solo home run in the fifth, making it a 5-3 game but Southwest narrowed the gap in the sixth following a Wallace single to left scoring Rowan Braley.
 
Unfortunately, Holmes pushed one more run across the plate in the sixth on a sacrifice fly.
 
Wallace and Stockstill led the charge with two hits apiece. Sistrunk finished with one hit, a run scored and two RBIs.
 
Starter Mia Pumila and Emme Wallace combined to strike out four while giving up 10 hits and two walks.
 
Emme Wallace got the start in Game 2 and got off to a solid start, battling out of a jam with two runners on in the first. She rebounded nicely in the second, retiring three of the four batters she faced, picking up a strikeout in the process.
 
Her offense provided help immediately afterward as a Stockstill single scoring Lilli Robertson before Kacey Stampley doubled to center allowing Stockstill to score.
 
Holmes cut the Lady Bear advantage in half at 2-1 in the third following an RBI single.
 
In the fifth, Stockstill continued her big day with another RBI single, this time scoring two runs when Robertson and Shaylee Ingram touched home increasing the Southwest lead to 4-1.
 
A three-run sixth inning helped Holmes draw even with Southwest at 4.
 
That score stood until the 10^th when Sistrunk led off the inning with a double allowing Anlyssa Richardson to come home putting Southwest ahead 5-4.
 
Madi Smith, who came on in relief of Wallace and Lana Dalton shut down the Lady Bulldogs in the bottom half of the inning, preserving the win for Southwest. The trio gave up only three walks while striking out four.
 
Stockstill finished the game going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Sistrunk, Ingram, Smith and Robertson all recorded two hits with the latter also tallying two runs scored.
 
The Lady Bears have a quick turnaround as they return home to host Hinds on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.