POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The No. 18 Pearl River softball team wrapped up the regular season Saturday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader against No. 11 Northeast.
The Wildcats dropped the opener 3-1 but responded with a 6-2 game-two win.
"This conference is extremely tough, and you have to grind continuously," head coach Christie Meeks said. "I'm proud of this group. They've all found their jobs to help us succeed. Now we have to get ready for the postseason.
"Tonight, I thought our pitchers did a great job of not letting a tight zone deter them from getting outs. They did a really good job."
The Wildcats will enter the postseason as a No. 6 seed and feature in the Jones College regional May 1-4 in Ellisville. More information will be made available soon.
GAME ONE
Pearl River (34-15 overall; 18-8 MACCC) took the lead relatively quickly in game one, moving in front of Northeast (40-8; 21-7) in the bottom of the second. PRCC's second batter of the inning, Caroline Lindsey (Gulfport), stepped to the plate and bashed an opposite-field solo home run, 1-0. It was her team-leading 12th of the year.
Lizzie Meeks (Ripley; Pine Grove) cruised through the middle innings, allowing just three baserunners. Unfortunately, the Wildcat defense hit a rough patch in the sixth inning as they made two errors to allow three runs to score. The Tigers took a 3-1 advantage with the outburst.
Meeks worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh to send her team back to the plate. The Wildcats made things interesting, getting two runners onto the bases but came up short, 3-1.
Pearl River picked up five hits in the contest. Lindsey's long ball was the only run scored.
Meeks tossed seven innings of three-run softball. She scattered four hits and six walks, allowing three runs. She struck out four.
GAME TWO
The Wildcats had to respond in game two, not only because of dropping game one but also because they fell behind after 2.5 innings. PRCC grabbed its first lead in the bottom of the second, but NEMCC scored two runs in the top of the third to go ahead 2-1.
The Wildcat offense went back to work in the bottom of the third. Gracey Harbour (Batesville; South Panola) worked a leadoff walk and crossed the plate when Peyton Hoffmayer (Ocean Springs) drove a double into right center, 2-2. A groundout moved Hoffmayer up another base, and Emmaleigh Theriot (Prairieville, La.; St. Amant) knocked a sacrifice fly, 3-2 Wildcats.
Ana-Grace Garcia (Baton Rouge, La.; St. Joseph's) kept the Tigers off the scoresheet in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, and the Wildcat hitters rewarded her efforts in the bottom of the sixth — all with two outs. Theriot had led off the inning with a walk and swiped second. Lindsey knocked an RBI single and Maeli Ben (Conehatta; Newton County) drove her in with a double. Kirsten Williams (Saucier; West Harrison) kept the rally going with an RBI single, moving PRCC ahead 6-2.
Although Garcia gave up a walk to open the seventh, the freshman was lights-out afterward. She sandwiched a fielder's choice between a pair of punchouts to wrap up the game, 6-2.
Ben was the lone Wildcat with multiple hits in the contest, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI. Williams tallied two RBIs in the contest.
Garcia threw seven innings and allowed just two runs on four hits and four walks. She struck out six batters.
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