POPLARVILLE — It had been almost a year since veteran Poplarville head softball coach Jonathan Ray coached a game in the friendly home confines of Pete Jackson Field.

 

His Lady Hornets made sure the homecoming would be a successful one.

 

Poplarville smashed visiting Forrest County AHS 16-0 in just three innings in a Region 8-4A contest. The win moves Ray’s Lady Hornets to 11-1-1 overall and Poplarville sits atop the league standings at 4-0.

 

The game was the first home game of the season for the Lady Hornets.

 

“It was good to get back home. It was kind of strange when I realized how long it had been since I coached a game here,” Ray said. Poplarville’s only scheduled home game so far was against Picayune several weeks ago, but that game was rained out.

 

“There were several factors involved including some scheduling conflicts, but that’s just the way it worked out,” Ray added. “I was proud of the girls for playing as well as they did thus far without having a home game.”

 

Camryn Pierce picked up the pitching win for Poplarville. She got plenty of support at the plate from her teammates as the Lady Hornets jumped out to a commanding 12-0 lead after the first inning.

 

Branda Northrop had three hits, including a double, and drove in a team high four runs in the winning effort. Kaley Lambert had two hits, including double, and two RBI’s as well.

 

Pierce and Kaitlyn Clark also drove in two runs apiece. Tristan Wheat, Maryah Davis, Kristina Pertuit and Northrop each scored three runs apiece.

 

“I feel like we are playing real well,” Ray said. “We played some tough competition early in the year and we had a few kinks at times but we were able to work them out. We have really responded well since district play started.”

 

For quite a few years, Ray coached both the slow-pitch and fast-pitch teams at Poplarville High. Before the start of the current school year, though, Ray gave up the slow pitch duties after becoming Poplarville’s Athletics Director. That change resulted in his lengthy absence from coaching a game at home.

 

The Lady Hornets are back on the road Thursday in league play traveling to Bay High.