The Copiah-Lincoln Community College softball team opened play at the 2025 NJCAA Division II National Tournament with a 4-1 victory over Rock Valley College (Illinois) on Monday in Oxford, Alabama.

The Wolves were led by sophomore pitcher Emily Richarde, who gave up six hits and one earned run by striking out nine batters.

Richarde, a native of Lakeland, Tennessee, who has signed to next play at NCAA Division II Arkansas Tech, bounced back from her first career loss at CLCC, suffered in the Region 23 Championship Game to Jones College.

Now 21-1 on the season, Richarde was recently named 2025 Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) Pitcher of the Year.

The game hinged on the fifth inning, with Co-Lin and coach Meleah Howard leading 2-1. Rock Valley got a runner on via a leadoff single to start the frame and then packed the bases with runners after consecutive errors from the Co-Lin defense.

Howard called for a circle visit and steadied her team as they rallied around Richarde.

She then got an infield popup, a strikeout, and a groundout to end the scoring threat and set off a celebration in the Co-Lin dugout.

Sophomore outfielder Carson Hughey singled to start the bottom of the fifth and later scored on a Taylor Efferson single to put Co-Lin up 3-1.

The Wolves struck first in the bottom of the first as leadoff batter Brelie Phillips blasted a double and then later scored via an error when the next batter, Olivia Banes, bunted to get aboard. Banes scored later in the inning via a single by sophomore Avery Williams.

Co-Lin added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when freshman catcher Morgan Chisolm singled to score Kynlee Madere.

Banes, a product of Simpson Academy, was also recently named First-Team All-MACCC along with Efferson (Holden, La.) and Richarde.

Howard and her team will now get a day of rest on Tuesday with the win in the double elimination bracket.

Chisolm (Madison Central) and sophomore outfielder Emeri Warren (Leake Academy) were named Second Team All-MACCC. Hughey (Loyd Star) and Phillips (Newton County) were both tabbed Honorable Mention All-MACCC.

Up next for Co-Lin, seeded fifth, is a second-round game against four seed Des Moines Area Community College. CLCC and DMACC met in the 2023 national tournament, a game won by Co-Lin on its march to an eventual national championship for the program.

Des Moines defeated 13 seed Illinois Central 4-2 on Tuesday. Also on Monday, fellow MACCC member Northwest Mississippi beat Phoenix College 6-1. Next up for the Northwest Rangers is a matchup against the top seed of the tournament, defending national champion St. Johns River State.

The other MACCC school in Oxford, Jones College, beat Black Hawk College on Tuesday.

The first pitch between Co-Lin and Des Moines Area on Wednesday is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST.