On a day that was arguably one of the toughest tests for the Lady Bears thus far this season and which began with an unfortunate and heart-breaking 10-9 loss to No. 8 Northwest, it ended on a very high note as a Liberty Gillihan extra innings walk-off solo home run gave Southwest a 5-4 win over the Rangers in the nightcap.
"I just knew that we worked very hard in both games," Gillihan said. "That is the No. 8 (ranked) team. We came out and we fought and everyone played together as a team. I knew that I had to go up there and do something big. I never knew the feeling of hitting a walk-off home run, I've had a few walk-offs but never a home run."
Gillihan's game-winner came at a time when the momentum was clearly on the side of the Lady Bears (13-23, 7-11 MACCC). Just an inning prior, Kate Clements hit her first home run of the season to tie the game at 4 and force extra innings.
"I knew that I needed a hit in that at bat," said Clements. "I only had one hit in the game and I was due. I haven't hit a home run yet this season. I, honestly, was swinging for the fences!"
Starter Skye Sharp got off to a strong start retiring six of the first seven batters she faced. She got some help in the bottom of the second as Abbey Pevey singled in Erin Acey putting Southwest up 1-0.
Another 1-2-3 inning from Sharp and the Lady Bear defense in the third preserved the lead.
Southwest added to the lead in the bottom half of the inning as Acey made her presence known once again singling to center and bringing Corin Talbot and Clements home making the score 3-0.
The Rangers plated two runs in the fourth to pull within one and unfortunately took the lead in the fifth with two additional runs making it a 4-3 game.
Tye Boone came on in relief in the sixth and had a strong outing, keeping Northwest in check and Southwest within striking distance.
"As a pitcher, you have to keep your composure and if you don't keep your composure, nobody else will," she said. "If you stay in check, everyone else will stay in check. Everyone else feeds off of you."
Boone's good outing, feeding off of the momentum built from Sharp, led to the offense locking in down the stretch with the home runs from Clements and Gillihan.
Boone got the win, her first in her collegiate career, pitching 2.2 innings giving up only two hits. Sharp went 5.1 innings giving up just four earned runs while striking out two.
Acey led the offense with two hits, a run scored and two RBIs. Talbot and Clements also had two hits with the latter also adding two runs scored.
In the opener, the Lady Bears fell behind 2-0 in the second on a Ranger RBI single.
But Southwest put together a big rally in the fourth. Talbot kicked things off with a sacrifice fly to center scoring Alyssa Leggett and cutting the lead in half at 2-1. Following a double from Allie Ladnier, Acey singled in pinch runner Gabby Carr and Clements
giving the Lady Bears the lead at 3-2.
Following walks to Pevey and Malley Chase Faulkner, an RBI single from Maggie Wilks was followed by a bases loaded walk and an error on consecutive at bats then another RBI single, this time from Clements. When the dust settled, the Lady Bears enjoyed a 7-2 advantage.
A solo home run and a two-run home run in the fifth cut into the Southwest lead making it a 7-5 game. But the Lady Bears got one run back in the fifth when Pevey singled in Acey making it an 8-5 game.
Another Northwest rally in the sixth reduced the Southwest lead down to one at 8-7 before a 3-run seventh gave the Rangers a 10-8 advantage.
The Lady Bears showed great resiliency in the seventh, loading the bases once again before a hit by pitch allowed Acey to score pulling Southwest within one at 10-9 but the rally could not be complete as the Rangers got the next two batters out to escape with the narrow win.
Acey led Southwest with two hits, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Ladnier and Leggett also had two hits with each also finishing with a double.
Talbot went the distance for Southwest and once again finished with a double-digit strikeout performance with 10, her fourth of the season and second-consecutive.
After the games, Southwest head coach Shea Johnson was not only proud of how his team fought Wednesday, getting a win over a top-10 team, but also doing it just a day after another hard fought series against another conference opponent.
"I'm super proud of the kids," he said. "We played well enough to win twice at Hinds, we played well enough to win twice today. This was a tough way, when you have to play back-to-back in our league and against the No. 8 team in the country."
Southwest will be back in action on Saturday afternoon visiting Fulton to face Itawamba at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
