VICKSBURG —The 2024 JUCO Classic challenged the Lady Bears with four games in two days and against tough opponents. But they came through with flying colors Saturday and locked in a 3-1 record bouncing back after a tough loss Friday night by picking up a 10-0 6-inning win over St. Charles followed by a 9-4 victory over Coastal Alabama – North later in the afternoon.
 
"They've earned a good rest," Southwest head coach Shea Johnson said. "We accomplished what I wanted them to accomplish."
 
Despite not feeling 100 %, Southwest (11-3) freshman starter Lauren Mounce pitched a gem against the Lady Cougars in Game 1. Her lone flaw was a hit batter, but she quickly got over it and shined, going all six innings and finishing with no hits and no runs allowed while striking out 10.
 
After the game she gave a lot of credit to her defense.
 
"It is nice to know that I have my defense behind me, I couldn't have done it without them," she said. "I didn't give my best performance and it is so nice to be able to lean back on them and know that they have by back."
 
Right out of the gate, the Lady Bears made the first statement. Anlyssa Richardson walked and during the ensuing at bat she stole a base and scored shortly afterward when Maggie Wilks singled to left, putting Southwest up 1-0.
 
After Mounce and the Lady Bears made quick work of the Lady Cougars in the bottom half of the first, Southwest added to its lead in the second. Richardson again delivered, this time with an RBI as she doubled to center bringing MaryClaire Johnson home, making it a 2-0 game.
 
Two batters later, Liberty Gillihan followed suit with an RBI double of her own scoring Richardson. During the next at bat, Presley Dease lined out to the St. Charles shortstop who made an error on the throw allowing Wilks to touch home increasing the lead to 4-0.
 
The lead grew to five in the fifth when Wilks singled to center bringing Richardson home. Wilks herself scored later in the inning when pinch hitter Brooke Tillman hit an RBI single of her own. After a Shaylee Ingram single to load the bases, Anne Claire Sistrunk cleared them singling to center field allowing Tillman, Ingram and Dease to score putting Southwest up 9-0.
 
Richardson capped-off her big game bringing in the 10^th and final Lady Bear run later in the inning on a single to right.
 
Afterward she said that her recent performance is based off of the responsibility she has taken on as leadoff hitter.
 
"I still have that mindset that I am leadoff, I need to keep that position and I need to help our team," she said. "I need to start us off well and do anything to get on the bag. I think that is where I am at right now."

Richardson led the Lady Bears going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Wilks finished with two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs while Sistrunk had three RBIs.
 
In Game 2 against the Lady Coyotes, once again, the Lady Bears struck first in the first inning as Dease singled in Gillihan.
 
But the lead unfortunately didn't last long as Southwest struggled a bit in the field in the bottom half of the inning. Two errors helped lead to two Coastal runs, putting Southwest down 2-1.
 
Following a scoreless second inning, the Lady Bears got things going again offensively in the third. Mounce walked before Richardson singled putting two on base for Southwest.
 
Next up was Wilks who her continued her stellar day with an RBI single to center bringing Mounce home. Later in the inning, Dease followed suit with her second hit and RBI of the game, scoring Richardson. "I was trying to get back in a groove and help my team out," Dease said.
 
The fourth inning consisted of multiple extra base hits as the Lady Bears created more distance between themselves and their opponents. Abby Pevey got things going with a double followed by an RBI triple from Morgan Gras then an RBI double from Mounce. Later in the inning, Gillihan sent a ball to the wall in right-center for an two-RBI triple. The final run of the inning came in the form of a sacrifice fly hit by Dease, scoring Gillihan. The Lady Bears led 8-2 at the midway point of the fourth inning.
 
The final Southwest run of the game came in the fifth when Richardson singled allowing Pevey to touch home.
 
The Lady Coyotes scratched two runs across in the sixth, but the Lady Bears shut the door on any future opportunities and walked away with the win.
 
Gras led the Lady Bears with three hits. Richardson, Wilks, Pevey and Dease each had two hits with the latter also posting three RBIs.
 
The Lady Bears will be back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Mobile, AL to face Bishop State at noon and 2 p.m.