CO-LIN MEDIA / NATALIE DAVIS / Co-Lin head coach Allen Kent congratulates Jessica Crum on her third home run of the day.

WESSON – The Copiah-Lincoln Lady Wolves dropped two close games in their MACJC South Division opener against Gulf Coast on Friday afternoon in Wesson. The Lady Wolves saw No. 19 Gulf Coast score two runs in final inning to take a 3-1 win in the opener. In game two Gulf Coast banged out 12 hits to take a 6-4 win over the Lady Wolves.

Gulf Coast 3, Co-Lin 1 

The lone Lady Wolf run came in the bottom of the third inning when Co-Lin catcher Jessica Crum crushed a one-run home run to center field. Sophomore Adrienne Wallace went 2-for-3 with two singles. Sophomores Savannah Johnston and Breanna McKenzie had a single apiece for Co-Lin.

It was an RBI single by Britney Butler and an RBI triple by Deborah Elmore that broke open a 1-1 game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Rheagan Welch took the loss for Co-Lin after giving up three runs on six hits in a complete game performance. Welch walked four and struck out one. Paige Breal picked up the win after striking out five and giving up five hits in seven innings of work.

“We had base runners almost every inning, but we couldn’t get the hits when we needed them,” said Lady Wolves head coach Allen Kent.

Gulf Coast 6, Co-Lin 4 

Co-Lin jumped to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Crum hit her second solo homer of the day. The Lady Bulldogs would score one run in the second inning, two in the third, one in the fourth, one in the sixth, and one in the seventh inning.

Co-Lin tied the game in the third inning when Crum hit her third home run of the day, this one a two-run shot that also scored Savanah Johnston. Johnston scored again in the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4 on an RBI single by Breanna McKenzie. Johnston went 2-4 and freshman Kaitlyn Taylor finished 1-3 with a double.

Freshman Lucy Lewis suffered the loss after giving up four earned runs while striking out five and walking two in seven innings. Kaitlin Lee got the win for Gulf Coast after striking out three and surrendering four runs in seven innings of work.

“We face two of the top pitcher in our league today and had a chance in both games,” said Kent. “We need to find a way to win these close ones.”

Co-Lin is next scheduled to travel to Southwest on Tuesday, March 3 for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.