PERKINSTON, Miss. — The No. 11 Pearl River softball team put on a pitching clinic Tuesday night, striking out 25 batters in a series split against archrival Gulf Coast. Brinson Anne Rogers (Statesboro, Ga.) struck out 15 batters in a 2-1 no-hitter game two victory. Natalie Herrington (Petal) struck out 10 in a strong pitching performance in a 1-0 game one loss.  

"In rivalry games, you have to come ready to play; not getting swept when you are on the road is a big deal," PRCC head coach Christie Meeks said of the split with Gulf Coast. "Both pitchers pitched well enough to win both games." 

"We have to play tough," Meeks commented on the remaining MACCC schedule. "This is the time of the season when you start turning it on. You know what you are doing and not doing."

GAME ONE

The Wildcats (28-7 overall; 12-2 MACCC) could not capitalize on the solid pitching performance by Natalie Herrington (Petal) in game one. Herrington struck out ten Gulf Coast batters in the defensive battle (18-14 overall; 6-8 MACCC). 

Herrington started strong, retiring the first three batters in the bottom of the first, striking out one. 

Destiney Gary (Greenwell Springs, La.; Central) put the Wildcats in scoring position with a double to left field in the top of the second. Two outs on a pop-up and a ground out ended the inning. 

Herrington kept the Bulldogs off balance, striking out two more in the bottom of the second. 

The Bulldogs scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth. After a Herrington strikeout and a lineout to right fielder Dallyn Nance (Nanih Waiya), the Bulldogs put a runner on first with a single to right field. The next batter scored the run with a double to right field. 

Herrington struck out three of the four batters faced in the bottom of the fifth, with the only Bulldog reaching base on an error, and followed with a three-up, three-down sixth, striking out one. 

Herrington threw a complete game, allowing one run on three hits and striking out 10.

Overstreet and Gary both went 2-for-3 in game one. 

GAME TWO

Rogers continued to show why she was named an NJCAA Second Team All-American in 2022, striking out 11 batters over the last four innings, twice striking out the side.

After the Bulldogs scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second, the Wildcats scored two in the top of the fourth to take the lead. Gary reached first on an error by the shortstop in the top of the fourth. Marisa West (Citronelle, Ala.; LeRoy) followed in the next at-bat with a towering home run over the left centerfield fence to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. 

After walking and striking out the first two Bulldog batters to begin the bottom of the fourth, both teams had to take shelter from a short weather delay. After the delay, Rogers struck out the final two batters of the inning and took control of the rest of the game. 

"During the break, we had a chance to talk as a team," Meeks said on the team's performance after the weather delay. "When you play rivalry games, you have to be ready to perform. For Brinson, she realized she was pitching well. She started pitching and not throwing."

Rogers struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to bring her strikeout total to 13. Rogers struck out two more in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 2-0 victory and bring her strikeout total to 15. 

Rogers pitched the third no-hitter in her Wildcat career, finishing with 15 strikeouts, two walks and no earned runs.

West was 1-for-2 with a two-run home run. Overstreet was 2-for-4 for the game, and Gary was 1-for-2. 

NEXT UP

The Wildcats host Coahoma Saturday; game times are 2/4 p.m. Games are subject to change based on weather. Games will be livestreamed at prccmedia.com/gold.

CASHLESS BOX OFFICE 

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