Lady ‘Cats win a pair

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, February 25, 2014

It was a good road trip for the Pearl River Community College softball team.

The Lady Wildcats traveled to Monroeville, Ala., Thursday and swept a doubleheader from homestanding Alabama Southern. The wins helped PRCC even its record on the young campaign.

The victorious Lady Wildcats are now 4-4 overall, after winning 7-3 and 8-5, while the host Lady Eagles fell to 3-9.

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

The two teams split in The River’s season opening doubleheader played Feb. 7 in Poplarville with Alabama Southern winning the first game 7-2 before the Lady ’Cats bounced back with a 5-4 decision in the nightcap for its first win of the year.

In the first game, ASCC went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first, but PRCC tied it up in the top of the second. The Lady Eagles regained the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth and that 3-1 advantage remained intact until the Lady Wildcats scored three in the sixth and three in the seventh to take the 7-3 victory.

Starter Rachel Hickman of Poplarville High (2-1) hurled an impressive three-hitter in getting the mound win. She went the distance, striking out five and hitting three batters, while Kayla Jordan (2-3) got the loss. She also went the distance, giving up 12 hits and striking out four.

Heather Boutwell of Oak Grove High paced the Lady Wildcats’ 12-hit attack with a double and three singles (one RBI), while Kelsea Lewis of Oak Grove High (two RBIs) and Megan Scronce of Petal High both doubled and singled. Kaci Lantrip of Terry High homered (one RBI), Emily Jackson of Theodore (Ala.) High doubled, and Micah Davis of Poplarville High and Hickman (one RBI) both had base hits.

Shaniqua Washington smacked two singles for the Lady Eagles, while Braeden Sellers also had a base hit (two RBIs).

In the second game, Pearl River blistered Alabama Southern with a five-run barrage in the top of the first frame, which saw Lantrip bash a grand slam home run. The Lady Wildcats hung on to their 5-0 advantage until the bottom of the third when the Lady Eagles cut their lead to one with a four-run effort. PRCC added solo runs in the fourth, sixth, and seventh innings, while ASCC scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth.

Starter Ashley Hawkins of Theodore (Ala.) High (1-1) got the win in her six inning on the mound, giving up nine hits, striking out four, walking one, and hitting three batters, while Hickman relieved in the seventh, striking out one. Jordan (2-4) got her second mound loss of the day, pitching the distance. She gave up nine hits, struck out five, walked four, and hit three batters.

Lantrip led the Lady Wildcats at the plate with her grand slam and a single (four RBIs), while Boutwell tripled and singled (one RBI), Scronce had two base hits (one RBI), Brooke Roberts out of Saint Amant High in Gonzales, La., doubled, and Hawkins (one RBI) and Hannah Herndon of Poplarville High both had base hits.

The Lady Wildcats return to action Tuesday when they travel to Faulkner State CC in Bay Minette, Ala., for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.