POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Needing a hero to secure an MACCC opening sweep over No. 11 Northeast, freshman Caroline Lindsey (Gulfport) was due up in the order with a runner in scoring position for the No. 2 Pearl River softball team. The catcher went through her pre-at-bat ritual, took a deep breath, stepped into the box and jumped on the first pitch she saw, sending a ground ball through the hole to drive in the winning run and beat the Tigers.
Pearl River won game one 4-3 and took the nightcap 4-3 in nine innings.
"She's such a team player. She was resilient," head coach Christie Meeks said of Lindsey. "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing to put her back in during the second game. She did a really good job of controlling the game and commanding the game."
"I was upset with myself for not getting it done the first opportunity that I had," Lindsey said. "The second time I came up, it was the same situation with Nat (Toups) and Lainee (Bailey) on base. I guess it was my vengeance moment. It was a really cool moment."
GAME ONE
Northeast (20-8 overall; 0-2 MACCC) jumped on Pearl River (20-3; 2-0) starter Natalie Herrington (Petal) in the first inning of the game, scoring three first-inning runs on three RBIs and a walk.
Pearl River needed the offense to move into chip-away mode, and the Wildcats did just that, scoring a run in each of the first, second, third and fourth innings to move back in front. PRCC's first run scored when Natalie Toups (Brandon; Clinton Christian Academy) reached on an error and eventually scored on a Bryn Daughtery (Vancleave) sacrifice fly into center field, 3-1.
The right arm of Klair Cuevas (Poplarville; Hancock) prevented a Tiger run in the top of the second. Northeast opted to test Cuevas and paid for it as she threw a perfect ball from left field to home plate to nab the runner trying to score.
The fight back into the game continued in the second. Lindsey ripped a double to begin the inning and Cuevas followed by walking. Both players stole a base to get into scoring position, and Morgan Lavergne (Baton Rouge, La.; Central) brought Lindsey home with a groundout, 3-2.
PRCC squared it up at 3-3 in the third. Anna Kate Rounsaville (Gulfport) reached on a fielder's choice and touched home plate moments later when Peyton Hoffmayer (Ocean Springs) burnt the right fielder with a laser over her head and off the wall for an RBI triple.
Cuevas shined on the defensive side once again in the top of the fourth, crashing in from her left field position and sliding to make a big catch to begin the inning. A few batters later, she ranged deep into the left field corner and tracked down a ball on the warning track to end the frame.
Pearl River finally moved ahead in the fourth. Back-to-back singles by CharLee Meadows (Piave; Greene County) and Lavergne helped get a runner into scoring position, and Toups brought a run home on a chopper to shortstop, 4-3.
Herrington was lights out in the circle throughout the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to help the Wildcats secure the victory.
Herrington rebounded from her rough first inning to throw six scoreless innings. She finished her outing with a complete game, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks. She struck out seven.
Bailey finished 2-for-4 in the game. Rounsaville was 2-for-3. All of PRCC's runs scored off the bat of a different player. Toups, Lavergne, Daughtery and Hoffmayer all had an RBI.
GAME TWO
The first inning was quiet for both teams as the first three batters for each were retired. A double coupled with an RBI groundout helped the Tigers take the lead in the top of the second inning, 1-0. Hoffmayer and Ashlyn Dean (Carriere; Pearl River Central) combined to tie the game up in the bottom frame. Hoffmayer ripped a single into left field before Dean nearly got all of one, sending an RBI double off the wall in center field, 1-1.
NEMCC timed up a pitch well in the top of the third and sent a ball flying over the left field wall for a two-run home run, 3-1.
PRCC's backs were against the wall once again with the early deficit; thankfully, the Wildcats were up to the challenge once again. Hoffmayer struck out, but the ball got away from the catcher. She dashed toward first base, and the Tiger catcher threw the ball over the head of the first baseman to allow Cuevas to take the plate, 3-2.
As she has done all season, Bailey came up big for the Wildcats in the bottom of the fifth. After Meadows and Lavergne singled, Bailey stroked a double into left center field for a game-tying RBI double, 3-3.
The bats went quiet in the sixth and seventh, and PRCC headed to extra innings for the fourth time in the young season. It wasn't until the ninth inning that the Wildcats finally put the game to rest, and who better to do it than freshman catcher Lindsey. Toups singled and eventually made her way into scoring position at second base. Lindsey, who was the hero in PRCC's 3-2 victory over Parkland earlier this year, took her practice swings before stepping into the box. She liked the very first pitch and jumped on it, smacking it along the ground and into left field. Toups got a great jump off second base, dashed around third and slid into home plate to score the winning run, 4-3, sending the Wildcat dugout into an excited frenzy and securing an MACCC opening sweep.
Bailey got the win in the circle, throwing a complete game. She allowed just three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out 10.
PRCC finished with 12 hits in the game. Toups, Dean and Wallace all had two hits.
NEXT UP
Pearl River hits the road on Wednesday for a 3/5 p.m. doubleheader against Southwest. The games will be livestreamed at Go.SMCCBears.TV.
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