YOUNGSVILLE, La. — The No. 11 Pearl River softball team opened the 2025 campaign with two wins at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Youngsville, La., on Saturday. The Wildcats opened the tournament with a gritty 6-4 win over National Park and a five-inning 10-1 victory over Bossier Parish.
"With the day as a whole, we loosened up a bit and had some fun," PRCC head coach Christie Meeks commented on the team's performance. "They played as a group, they played as a team and they fought extremely hard.
"I am proud of the way our hitters were able to adjust. Every time we faced a different pitcher, they were given an approach, and they stuck with it, and they were successful."
PEARL RIVER 6, NATIONAL PARK 4
Pearl River (2-0) displayed grit in its season-opening win against National Park (3-2) in game one of the Mardi Gras Invitational.
Pearl River pitcher, Anna-Grace Garcia (Baton Rouge, La.; St. Joseph's), found her rhythm early on and deliver a complete game on the mound for the Wildcats. National Park put the first two runners on in the top half of the first. With players on first and third, catcher Caitlyn Riche (Walker, La.) gunned down the Nighthawk baserunner trying to steal second. The National Park runner on third stole home on the play, putting the Wildcats down early, 1-0. Garcia did not let the early run affect her as she struck out two batters in the inning.
Both teams struggled to find momentum in the second and third innings. Garcia struck out two batters over the second and third innings and Riche picked off another Nighthawk baserunner in the top of the second.
Pearl River's offense woke up in the bottom of the fourth inning. Peyton Hoffmayer (Ocean Springs) reached first on an error by the National Park left fielder. Hoffmayer reached third on a double by Natalee Eaves (Louisville, Miss.; Choctaw Central). Caroline Lindsey (Gulfport) put the Wildcats on the board with a ground ball to left field, scoring Hoffmayer and Eaves, 2-1. Not to be outdone, Kirsten Williams (Saucier; West Harrison) sent the first pitch to center field, scoring Lindsey to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead. Pearl River added one more run in the bottom of the frame with Williams scoring on a Riche RBI, 4-1.
The Nighthawks battled back in the top of the fifth. National Park's leadoff hitter got on base with a single to center field. Pearl River held National Park at bay, with Eaves reigning in a fly ball to center field and Riche snagging a ball in foul territory. The next batter put the Nighthawks on the board with a triple to right field, 4-2. With bases loaded, National Park tied the score with a double to center field, 4-4. Eaves hauled in a line drive in centerfield to close out the top of the inning.
Not to be deterred, Kai Goodman (New Orleans, La.; John Curtis) got on base on an infield single. With Emmaleigh Theriot (Prairieville, La.; St. Amant) at the plate, Goodman stole second on the first pitch of the at-bat. Theriot singled on a line drive to center field, scoring Goodman and giving the Wildcats the lead, 5-4.
The Pearl River defense did not bend in the top of the sixth, only allowing one baserunner in the inning.
The Wildcats added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Leading off the inning, Carsyn Mott (Collinsville; West Lauderdale) drew a walk to give The River a baserunner. Riche stepped up again and hit a line drive double to left field, scoring Mott to give the Wildcats a 6-4 lead.
Garcia entered the top of the seventh and closed out the game, striking out three of the four batters faced, securing a 6-4 Wildcat win and Garcia her first collegiate win.
"She (Garcia) did a great job of keeping batters off guard by mixing her speeds and locations," Meeks said. "Our defense did really well playing behind her; they were tough. There were a lot of plays that we made behind our pitching today in the first game that separated us and allowed us to stay on top."
BY THE NUMBERS
The Wildcats scored six runs on eight hits against National Park, and the defense did not commit an error. Six Wildcat batters safely got on base with a hit.
"We were constantly battling at the plate. Not every call went our way when it came to balls and strikes; the players were unaffected, and they continued to battle," Meeks said. "Caroline (Lindsey), Natalee Eaves and Riche, looking at the day as a whole, their power was fantastic."
Garcia pitched a complete game, striking out nine Nighthawk batters and allowing seven hits.
Riche was 2-for-3 from the plate with two RBI. Defensively, Riche threw out two Nighthawk baserunners on steal attempts.
Eaves batted 2-for-3, and one run scored. Lindsey was 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run scored.
PEARL RIVER 10, Bossier Parish 1
In their second game of the invitational, the Pearl River offense picked up where it left off in game one, scoring three runs in the opening frame against Bossier Parish (3-2).
Theriot got things started for the Wildcats by reaching first on a well laid bunt in front of the Cavalier catcher and followed with stealing second two pitches into Hoffmayer's at-bat. Hoffmayer brought Theriot in to score on a line drive single to left center field, 1-0. In the second pitch of the ensuing at-bat, Eaves hit a double to right field, putting runners on second and third. Lindsey sent the third pitch of her at-bat to center field for a line drive double, scoring Hoffmayer and Eaves, 3-0.
The Wildcat defense avoided a jam in the bottom of the first, only allowing the Cavaliers to score one run with bases loaded, 3-1.
The Wildcat offense exploded in the top of the second, where Pearl River added six runs to give them an eight-run lead.
A single by Goodman advanced Alexa Womack (Prairieville, La.; Dutchtown), who reached first on a Cavalier error, giving the Wildcats runners on first and second. Theriot scored Womack on a line drive double to left field, and Goodman advanced to third, 4-1. Hoffmayer scored Goodman on a groundout to the pitcher, and Theriot advanced to third, 5-1.
With the next at-bat, Theriot scored on an Eaves hard grounder to centerfield, 6-1. Two pitches later, Lindsey reached first on a single, giving the Wildcats runners on first and third. After one pitch to Maeli Ben (Conehatta; Newton County), Bossier Parish made a pitching change. Following the pitching change, Ben sent the second pitch she saw over the leftfield wall for a three-run home run, 9-1.
"The hitting exploded in the second inning, they were loose, they were having fun," Meeks said. "Maeli Ben exploded on a ball on her home run. It was exciting to see them play free and have some fun at the plate."
Pitcher Gracey Harbour (Batesville; South Panola) picked up two strikeouts in the bottom of the second as the Wildcats held the Cavaliers scoreless with two runners on base.
Both defenses were solid in the third in fourth innings, as neither team could generate offense. Harbour kept the Bossier Parish offense off balance, striking out two in the bottom of the fourth.
Ben singled on a hard ground ball to left field on the first pitch in the top of the fifth. With Williams coming in as a courtesy runner for Ben, Williams put the Wildcats in scoring position with a steal of second base. A single to right field by Harbour scored Williams from second, giving the Wildcats a 10-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Eaves hauled in a fly ball to center field, and Harbour struck out two batters, and the Wildcats secured a 10-1 five-inning win.
"I am extremely proud of Harbour on the mound and the plays the defense made behind her," Meeks said. "Game Changer won't give credit to every play; Riche had a ball up the middle that she cut off and threw off her back foot to get an out at first base. Goodman was able to go into the five-six hole, grab a ball, and help us at third for an out. There were some huge defensive plays in the outfield as well; Eaves and Theriot chased some balls down in the outfield."
LEADING THE WAY
Pearl River scored 10 runs and had 11 hits and no errors against Bossier Parish. Seven Wildcats recorded a hit.
Eaves batted 2-for-3 with one double, two runs and two RBI. She was 4-for-6 on the day with three runs and two RBI. Ben was 2-for-3 from the plate with one home run, three RBI and one run.
Theriot hit 2-for-3 with one double, two runs scored, and one RBI, and Lindsey batted 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI, and one run. Hoffmayer finished game two with two RBI and one run.
On the mound, Harbour pitched a complete five-inning game, striking out six and allowing three hits.
"Gracey (Harbour) had a fantastic outing," Meeks said. "She was sharp; she spun the ball really well. She was making the hitters do what she wanted with the pitches."
NEXT UP
The Wildcats travel to Andalusia, Ala., on Tuesday to take on Lurleen B Wallace for a 3/5 p.m. doubleheader.
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