POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The No. 6 Pearl River softball team battled in two epic extra-inning contests in a split with No. 4 Parkland. The Wildcats dropped a nine-inning opener 5-4 before bouncing back with a 3-2 ten-inning victory off a Caroline Lindsey (Gulfport) walk-off double.
"I thought our offense battled; they worked with each other. The players coming off the bench were the key," Pearl River head coach Christie Meeks said. "Ryleigh with a really big at-bat for us. Klair getting a big hit for us. Then Caroline, I mean, she has been battling. She separates herself because she stayed in the game the entire series. She was helping me call pitches; she was 100-percent in, and we knew to get her in there."
GAME ONE
Both teams struggled to find home plate in the early innings as each team looked to find an opening in the opponent's defense.
With bases loaded in the bottom of the first, the Wildcats could not capitalize and left the runners stranded.
Parkland struck first in the top of the second. With a runner on base after a Wildcat error, the Cobras scored on a wild pitch to give them a 1-0 lead. Parkland added another run in the top of the third off a sacrifice fly in foul territory to increase the lead to 2-0.
The Wildcats battled back in the bottom of the first, cutting the lead to one. Morgan Lavernge (Baton Rouge, La.; Central) got on base on a walk to open the inning. Natalie Toups (Brandon; Clinton Christian Academy) reached first on an error by Parkland, advancing Lavergne to second. A Lainee Bailey (Walker, La) walk with no outs loaded the bases for the Wildcats. A pinch-hit Peyton Hoffmayer (Ocean Springs) line drive single to center field scored Lavergne, bringing the score to 2-1.
Bailey opened the bottom of the fifth with a double to left field. Bryn Daughtery (Vancleave) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Bailey to third. Anna Kate Rounsaville (Gulfport) scored pinch runner Bailey Bishop (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) on a sacrifice fly to tie the score, 2-2.
The Cobras struck back in the top of the six, scoring on an error by the Wildcats, 3-2.
Parkland took advantage of a base runner in the top of the seventh to increase the lead to two after a line drive double to center field, 4-2.
Toups gave the Wildcats momentum in the bottom of the seventh, reaching first on an error by the Parkland pitcher. With two outs, Daughtery reached first on a walk, giving the Wildcats two base runners. After a double steal by Toups and pinch runner Charlee Meadows (Piave; Greene County), Toups scored on an error by Parkland, 4-3. Following walks by Rounsaville and Hoffmayer, Meadows scored after Ryleigh Wallace (Petal) was hit by a pitch, tying the score 4-4.
With a runner on second in the bottom of the ninth, Parkland scored with a ground ball to center field to seal the victory, 5-4.
BY THE NUMBERS
Natalie Herrington (Petal) had a strong outing for the Wildcats. She pitched nine innings, striking out 12 batters and giving up two earned runs.
Hoffmayer was 1-for-3 from the plate with one RBI, and Lavergne was 1-for-3 with one run.
GAME TWO
Once again, both teams struggled to score in the early innings of game two. Wildcat pitcher Bailey was a force on the rubber, striking out four Parkland batters in the first three innings.
Parkland pieced together a couple of singles in the top of the fourth to give the Cobras a 1-0 lead. With a runner on first, Parkland increased the lead to 2-0 with a line drive double to center field.
The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the sixth when the Wildcats tied the game at two-a-piece. Pinch hitter Campbell Lee (Brandon) scored Rounsaville with a line drive double to right field to cut the lead to one. Wallace entered the game to pinch hit and, with a full count, sent a ground ball to left field. Pinch runner Bishop scored on an error by the Parkland left fielder, 2-2.
Both teams battled into the night as the game entered extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Klair Cuevas (Poplarville; Hancock) reached first on an infield single. Lindsey entered the game as a pinch hitter and sent the third pitch she saw to center field, scoring Cuevas and giving the Wildcats a 3-2 victory.
LEADING THE WAY
Cuevas was 1-for-1 with the game-winning run. Lee was 1-for-1 with an RBI, and Lindsey was 1-for-1 with the game-winning RBI.
Bailey was dominant on the mound for the Wildcats, pitching 10 innings, striking out 15 batters, and allowing only four hits.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats will participate in the Hinds JUCO Classic in Vicksburg on Friday. Pearl River will face Coastal Alabama-North at noon and No. 9 Kirkwood at 2:30 p.m.
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