VICKSBURG, Miss. — The No. 6 Pearl River softball team had a mixed bag of results Friday afternoon in the Hinds JUCO Classic, defeating Coastal Alabama – North 8-3 before dropping an extra-inning game against No. 9 Kirkwood 10-9.
NO. 3 PEARL RIVER 8, COASTAL ALABAMA – NORTH 3.
Pearl River (15-2 overall) set the tone for the first game early as the Wildcats notched four runs in the bottom of the first inning against Coastal Alabama – North (9-5). Morgan Lavergne (Baton Rouge, La.; Central) began things by ripping a triple into the corner in left field and came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Lainee Bailey (Walker, La.). Natalie Toups (Brandon; Clinton Christian Academy) scored the next Wildcat run, drawing a walk and scoring on a Peyton Hoffmayer (Ocean Springs) single. Starting pitcher Bryn Daughtery (Vancleave) gave herself some insurance, bringing Anna Kate Rounsaville (Gulfport) home on a double and Klair Cuevas (Kiln; Hancock) wrapped up the scoring with an RBI single, 4-0.
Bailey sent her fifth home run of the season over the center field wall in the bottom of the second to add another run, 5-0.
The Coyotes snatched two runs back in the top of the third, striking on a two-out, two-run double, 5-2. The Wildcats went quietly in the bottom of the third but added a run in the fourth on a Hoffmayer line-drive RBI single, 6-2.
Daughtery kept it rolling in the circle in the fifth and sixth innings, and the Wildcats rewarded her with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Alexa Womack (Prairieville, La.; Dutchtown) drew a leadoff walk, and Lavergne blasted a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall, 8-2.
The Coyotes fought for one more run in the top of the seventh, but Daughtery slammed the door to finish off her complete game effort.
Lavergne finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Hoffmayer went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Campbell Lee (Brandon) came in to pinch-hit and picked up two hits.
Daughtery scattered eight hits and one walk across seven innings pitched. She allowed three runs, and only one of the runs was earned. She struck out three.
NO. 9 KIRKWOOD 10, NO. 6 PEARL RIVER 9 (9 INNINGS)
It didn't look like it early on, but the Wildcats eventually played their third extra innings game of the week against Kirkwood.
PRCC scored two runs in the top of the first as Hoffmayer drove a two-run double into centerfield. The Eagles responded with a sacrifice fly to make it a 2-1 game after an inning.
Pearl River poured it on in the third and fourth innings, moving ahead 7-1. The two runs that scored in the third inning were on a Rounsaville RBI double and a two-run single off the bat of Caitlyn Riche (Walker, La.). Bailey provided the power in the fourth inning, blasting her team-leading sixth home run of the season and second long ball of the day.
The Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the fourth and rallied to tie up the game at 7-7 with a big five-run bottom of the sixth. Each pitcher worked in and out of trouble in the seventh inning to send it to extras. In the eighth, each team managed to get runners into scoring position but couldn't scratch across any runs.
Pearl River looked to be in the driver's seat in the top of the ninth with a two-run frame. An error allowed the first run to score, and Riche's sacrifice fly plated the next, 9-7.
Kirkwood didn't let the two-run deficit bother it and eventually drove a three-run, walk-off triple into right field to earn a 10-9 victory.
Riche went 1-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Rounsaville was 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Hoffmayer wrapped up the night 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs.
Bailey threw five innings, allowing six runs on five hits and a walk. Five of the runs were earned, and she struck out eight. Herrington threw 3 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk. She picked up five punchouts.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats take the field again on March 1 for a 1/3 p.m. doubleheader against Pensacola State.
TICKETS
Tickets are on sale now at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets. General admission tickets are $8 per game. Season passes can be purchased for $75 for softball or a softball/baseball season pass can be purchased for $100.
HOW TO WATCH
The Wildcats will once again livestream all games for free at PRCCMedia.com/gold. Fans who have Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app stores.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).