Coates’ shutout get Top-20 split for No. 20 MGCCC

PERKINSTON — No. 20 Mississippi Gulf Coast turned to its ace Saturday trying to split its showdown with No. 9 Northwest Mississippi.

Emaleigh Coates was fired up, and she delivered.

She struck out eight and scattered four hits in a 3-0 Game 2 shutout at Ross-Smith Field. The Rangers won the first game 4-2.

"I was fired up," Coates said. "It got started last night. A lot of people don't like us, and it lit a fire. I said I'm fixing to shut them down."

The sophomore righty from Lucedale struck out the side in the seventh to end the game and then flexed. Northwest stranded runners at third base in the second and fourth innings, but Coates got out of every jam.

"The last or four starts, she been dominating," Gulf Coast coach David Kuhn said. "She been getting ahead of batters, staying ahead of batters. She's been getting big strikeouts and pitching to her defense. She's given us a chance every time out."

Breanna Green (So., Saraland, Ala./Saraland) delivered a clutch bases-loaded single with two outs in the second for a 1-0 lead. Gulf Coast would strand the bases loaded in the inning, part of seven left on base in the first three innings.

They wouldn't score again until the sixth inning, when Alyssia Little (So., Brandon/Brandon) hit a pop up the drifted from foul territory to drop just inside the foul line behind first base. Abbott Stafford (So., Glenmora, La./Glenmora), who was 3-for-3 with a double in the second game, scored.

Kristian Jones (So., Southaven/DeSoto Central) squeezed in a second insurance run with one out.

The Bulldogs (12-13, 4-2 MACCC) got a solo homer from Jovi Jones (Fr., Batesville/Magnolia Heights) in the second inning of the first game. Stafford had an RBI single in the third, and the Bulldogs led 2-0 until the sixth.

Northwest (12-7, 2-4) got a two-run homer in the sixth, then capitalized for two runs in the seventh after an error on what would have been the third out.

"I felt we could have easily won the first game," Kuhn said. "We had the lead for a long time and didn't capitalize on some opportunities early. Credit goes to them because they've got a very good team. They got it done when it counted in Game 1."

Gulf Coast will host Hinds on Wednesday. First pitch in Perkinston is set for 3 p.m. The game will be streamed at https://livestream.com/mgcccbulldogs/events/10255918.

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