No. 8 Bulldogs split on opening day

No. 8 Mississippi Gulf Coast earned a split in the Island Invitational on the first day of its 2022 softball season in Pasadena, Texas.

The Bulldogs beat Alvin 7-3 before losing to 15-5 to McLennan in five innings. McLennan is ranked 17^th in the NJCAA Division I poll. Gulf Coast plays in Division II.

K.K. Agner (So., Horn Lake/Magnolia Heights) doubled in two runs in the fourth to give Gulf Coast a 3-1 lead. Abby Vance (So., Calhoun City/Calhoun City) led off the fifth with a triple and scored on a single by Darcy Novak (So., Hurley/East Central). After a double by Jovi Jones (Fr., Batesville/Magnolia Heights), Kristian Jones (So., Southaven/DeSoto Central) and Grace Allgood (So., Hurley/East Central) had RBI singles for a 7-1 lead.

Madisyn Cobbs (Fr., Oxford/Lafayette) struck out nine in five innings to pick up the win. Her batterymate Novak had three hits, and Vance and both Joneses had two.

Gulf Coast gave up three runs in the top of the first against McLennan, but rallied for five in the bottom half. Vance had an RBI single, and Emaleigh Coates (So., Lucedale/George County) had a three-run double. She later scored on a passed ball.

The Bulldogs, however, couldn't get the Highlanders' bats slowed down.

Gulf Coast will play three games Sunday. A 9 a.m. game against Vernon will be followed by a doubleheader against host San Jacinto-South starting at 1 p.m.

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.