A big double-digit comeback in the nightcap of Wednesday's conference home double-header against Mississippi Gulf Coast wasn't quite enough for the Lady Bears as they dropped a heartbreaker to the Bulldogs 15-11. Southwest fell 7-0 in Game 1 earlier in the evening.
 
"You're pleased as a coach when your team fights and doesn't quit, down by 11, to come back to tie it," Southwest head coach Shea Johnson said.
 
In the nightcap, Southwest (11-21, 5-9 MACCC) fell in a hole in the first inning, giving up nine runs.
 
Despite the deficit, the Lady Bears continued to fight and pushed one run across in the bottom of the second inning on an Erin Acey sacrifice fly to left, allowing Kate Clements to touch home.
 
Even though the Bulldogs added two runs in the third to make the score 11-1, the Lady Bears showed great resiliency to battle back with a huge rally in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Alyssa Leggett doubled in Maggie Wilks before bases loaded walks to Malley Chase Faulkner and Acey were accompanied by Abbey Pevey being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Allie Ladnier batting in a run while reaching on an error. Another walk with the bases loaded, this time to Liberty Gillihan was followed by an RBI single from Corin Talbot. When the dust settled, Southwest pulled within two at 11-9.
 
Two innings later, the Lady Bears rallied again to pull even, getting a bases loaded walk to Clements and a Pevey ground out which brought home another run, tying the game at 11.
 
The momentum, however, was unfortunately short-lived as Gulf Coast got three runs on a Southwest error putting the Lady Bears down 14-11. The Bulldogs added one more in the seventh before taking the game.
 
Leggett led Southwest going 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Talbot recorded two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs.
 
Reliever Tye Boone received praise from Coach Johnson following the game, after the freshman put together her best outing of the season giving up only four earned runs and three walks while also keeping Southwest within striking distance following the first rally.
 
In the opener, the Lady Bears found themselves down 2-0 in the first and 3-0 in the second as they had trouble getting their offense going.
 
Southwest put two on base in the fourth following a Leggett double and a Talbot single but both were unfortunately stranded.
 
The deficit grew to 6-0 in the fifth before the Bulldogs added one more in the seventh.
 
Talbot led the Lady Bears with two hits. In the circle, she went the distance giving up four hits, seven runs (one earned) and five walks while striking out four.
 
Southwest returns to action on Saturday, hosting Northwest Mississippi at noon and 2 p.m.