ELLISVILLE, Miss. — Brinson Anne Rogers (Statesboro, Ga.), pitcher for the No. 9 Pearl River softball team, recorded her 500th career strikeout against No. 7 Jones College Tuesday in Ellisville. Rogers set the milestone in the first inning of the second game of the series. The Wildcats dropped a tough defensive battle in games one, 3-0, and two fell in game two, 5-1.
GAME ONE
The Wildcats (36-11 overall; 18-6 MACCC) struggled to find the offense against Jones (38-6; 22-2) in a low-scoring game one of the "Cat Fight."
The Wildcats put a runner in scoring position in the top of the second. Cassidy Cartwright (Poplarville) reached base on a walk and advanced to second on a Dallyn Nance sacrifice bunt (Nanih Waiya). The Wildcats were not able to capitalize, leaving Cartwright at second.
Jones plated one run in the bottom of the second with a solo home run, 1-0.
Neither team could get their offense going in the third and fourth innings. Nance put the Wildcats in scoring position with a double in the top of the fourth, but the Wildcats could not capitalize.
The Wildcat defense came up big in the bottom of the fifth as starter Natalie Herrington (Petal) pitched out of a jam to strand two Jones base runners.
The Bobcats extended their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs. The Bobcats put runners on base on consecutive singles. The runners advanced to third and second on a throwing error. Consecutive singles brought in two runs to give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead.
Bella Crawley (Ocean Springs) entered the game in relief and retired the side to end the inning.
The Wildcats threatened in the top of the seventh, leaving two runners on base.
GAME TWO
The Bobcats plated two runs early in the first inning before Rogers settled down and struck out two batters for career strikeouts 499 and 500.
Neither team could get anything offensively, going three-up, three-down in the second. Rogers recorded her third strikeout of the game in the inning.
Jones extended the lead to four with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third, 4-0.
The Bobcats pushed the lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth off an error on a pickoff play at second base.
The Wildcats scored in the top of the sixth to close the gap to four. Natalie Toups (Brandon; Clinton Christian Academy) reached first on a single to left field. Toups advanced to second on a Morgan Lavergne (Baton Rouge, La.; Central) sacrifice bunt to the Bobcat second baseman. Destiney Gary (Greenwell Springs, La.; Central) ripped a single to center field to score Toups to bring the score to 5-1.
Rogers pitched a complete game, striking out five and giving up two earned runs on five hits.
Toups was 1-for-1 with one run scored. Gary hit 1-for-3 with one RBI.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats return to Wildcat Stadium Friday as they host Northwest. Game times are 12/2 p.m. The games will be livestreamed at www.prccmedia.com/gold.
CASHLESS BOX OFFICE
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TUNE IN
Pearl River livestreams all home games for free at PRCCMedia.com/gold. Fans with Roku, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app stores.