MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The University of Montevallo softball team faces their toughest test of the season as they travel to Clinton, Miss. to take on the No. 8 Mississippi College Choctaws on Saturday, Mar. 16 and Sunday, Mar. 17.
 
Last Time Out
The Falcons are coming off a three-game sweep of West Georgia where they averaged nine runs a game while holding the Wolves to three runs a game. Montevallo took the first game with ease and won 8-3. In game two of the series, West Georgia gave the Falcons their best shot as they took UM to extra innings. Sydnee Reaves would walk-it-off with a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the eighth. The Falcons won game three, in a five-inning run rule.
 
How To Follow
Montevallo vs. No. 8 Mississippi College / Mar. 16 at 4:00 PM CT
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Montevallo vs. No. 8 Mississippi College / Mar. 16 at 6:00 PM CT
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Montevallo vs. No. 8 Mississippi College / Mar. 17 at 12:00 PM CT
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About Montevallo
Hitting
The Falcons are on an offensive tear as they have scored eight or more runs in the last 11 consecutive games. Montevallo now has three batters hitting over the .400 mark in Ariana Pinder (.431), Bentlee Stiner (.413) and Sydnee Reaves (.403). As a team, UM is fifth in the Gulf South Conference with a .330 average while they have driven in the fourth most runs in the conference with 152 RBI.
 
Reigning GSC Player of the Week, Sydnee Reaves, has been on another level this season as she has already tied her RBI total from last season (38). Reaves has 16 RBI in her past five games while she has a run scored in the last 13 consecutive games. She has 31 hits this season and five games with at least three hits.
 
At the top of the Falcon order, Ariana Pinder continues to find ways on base as she has the fifth highest on base percentage at .543. Pinder blasted her fourth and fifth homers of the season this past weekend and has 13 runs scored in the last six games. Olivia Bergert has gotten hot recently as she comes into this weekend with a five-game hit streak. Bergert has seven hits in her last five games, seven runs scored and three RBI. The junior from Chelsea, Alabama hit her first home run of the season in game three against West Georgia.
 
Pitching
The pitching staff has been excellent for the Falcons this season as they are fifth in the conference with a 3.97 team ERA. While they strikeout a little under five batters a game, they walk opponents at the second lowest rate in the conference with only 60 walks on the season.
 
With the win in game three against UWG, Taylor Lloyd has a career-best eight wins for far this season which is tied for third in the GSC. Lloyd is a force to be reckoned with in the circle as she is third in the GSC with 77.1 innings pitched, the sixth most strikeouts with 67 and tied for sixth with five complete games thrown.
 
Rachel Whiddon had a great start for the Falcons as she went seven innings, only allowed three earned runs and two walks, and struck out five. Whiddon tied her season-high of five strikeouts. She gave way to Mya Young in the extra frame where Young picked up her fourth win of the season.
 
Scouting Mississippi College
The Choctaws come into this weekend 17-4 overall while their only losses of the season have come against Gulf South opponents. MC is currently sixth in the GSC standings and they are coming off a series win against the West Florida Argonauts. The Choctaws won the first game 8-7 but were run ruled the next game 13-0. In the rubber match, MC won 6-2 to take the series.
 
Jordan LaFosse leads Mississippi College with a .485 batting average which is fourth highest in the GSC. LaFosse currently has four games in a row with two or more hits. Last week, she hit five doubles and drove in six. McCall Lee leads the Choctaws with six homers while LaFosse has the most RBI on the team with 22. As a team, MC has the fourth highest batting average in the Gulf South at .338. They have the second lowest number of stolen bases in the conference this season with 28 successful attempts.

Mississippi College makes it tough on opposing hitters they have a 3.09 ERA which is second in the GSC. MC pitchers have racked up the fifth most strikeouts as a team this season with 120. Brookelyn Cannon is the top arm for the Choctaws with one of the best ERA's in the conference at 2.56. Cannon has 38.2 innings pitched on the season and has struck out 27 batters while walking 20. Camryn Bailey has the most innings pitched for MC with 59.2 and she has struck out the third most in the Gulf South Conference with 72 strikeouts.
 
The Falcons are 3-9 against Mississippi College all-time but Montevallo has won the most recent meeting between the two as they won 11-8 last season. UM is 2-4 in Clinton, Miss. against the Choctaws.