POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Both ends of the doubleheader were vastly different for the No. 13 Pearl River softball team, but the results were the same as the Wildcats swept Lansing on Tuesday inside Wildcat Stadium.
The Wildcats used a walk-off blast in the opener to win 6-3 before run-ruling and no-hitting the Stars in the nightcap 14-0 in five innings.
"Our pitchers have had something click lately," head coach Christie Meeks said. "They're competing together instead of separately. They're having each other's backs. Offensively, we had some timely hitting in the first game and then really hit well in game two. We will recover and rest a little then head to Northwest to try and get two wins on Saturday."
GAME ONE
Pearl River (18-7 overall) gave its starting pitcher, Gracey Harbour (Batesville; South Panola), three runs to work with across the first three frames of the day against Lansing (2-14). The opening run came in the first inning of the afternoon. With a runner on third base, Natalee Eaves (Louisville; Choctaw Central) sent a ground ball to second base for an RBI, 1-0.
Eaves did the damage for PRCC again in the third frame. Kai Goodman (New Orleans, La.; John Curtis) singled to open the frame, and Theriot was hit by pitch. Eaves cleared the bases moments later, sending a line drive into right field for a two-run triple, 3-0.
Harbour was cruising in the circle through the first five innings of the day before getting into some trouble in the sixth. The Stars used an RBI double and a two-run laser over the left field wall to square things up at 3-3 and force a pitching change. PRCC turned to Ana-Grace Garcia (Baton Rouge, La.; St. Joseph's) in the tied ballgame, and she immediately struck out two batters to close the inning.
The Pearl River offense went quietly in the bottom half of the frame, but Garcia ran her strikeout string up to five in a row in the seventh to set the Wildcats up for potential heroics in the bottom half of the inning.
With Harbour and Carsyn Mott (Collinsville; West Lauderdale) aboard via walks, Goodman was the next batter in the order. Goodman looked as if she was going to slap-hit when the first three pitches were thrown to her, but the Nicholls State transfer stood strong and blasted the fourth pitch over the wall in right field for a walk-off three-run homer, 6-3.
"I was looking inside because I know that's where I am strong," Goodman said. "I saw the pitch coming and just threw my bat out there. I was happy to be able to swing away."
Harbour through 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks. She struck out nine. Garcia earned the win, striking out all five batters she faced.
Goodman finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, three runs, a double and a homer. Eaves had one hit and drove in three runs. Harbour walked twice.
GAME TWO
The Wildcats may not have played their best game in the opener, but they made sure that it did not happen again in the second game of the day. Pearl River handed the ball to freshman right-hander Lizzie Meeks (Ripley; Pine Grove), and she dominated. She went on to throw five no-hit innings, striking out five batters and allowing just three baserunners.
The Wildcat offense aided Meeks' efforts with an incredible showing at the plate. PRCC put up a five-spot in each of the second and third innings. In the second, PRCC did all its damage with two outs. Caitlyn Riche (Walker, La.) drove home a pair with a double, and Mott brought her around with a double of her own. Theriot picked up the final two RBIs of the frame with a two-run double, 5-0.
One frame later, PRCC scored five more runs. Anna Kate Rounsaville (Gulfport) and Cailey Pervel (Carriere; Pearl River Central) stepped into the right-handed batter's box and crushed back-to-back solo home runs, 7-0. A Mott groundout pushed across the next run, and Theriot and Eaves closed out the inning with RBI singles, sending PRCC ahead 10-0.
The runs continued to flow in the fourth as PRCC tacked on four more. With Pervel and Maeli Ben (Conehatta; Newton County aboard, Alexa Womack (Prairieville, La.; Dutchtown) ripped a two-run double. One batter later, Mott got ahold of a pitch and sent in way out of Wildcat Stadium for a two-run homer, 14-0.
Meeks' three-up, three-down fifth inning allowed her to finish off the no-hitter as the Wildcats took the game via run rule.
Meeks struck out five in five no-hit innings. She walked three.
"I was working in and out. I threw a lot of screwballs," Meeks said. "I was getting in on their hands, then busted them away. I was keeping them guessing."
Ben went 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs. Theriot finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Mott went 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBIs. She hit a double and a home run. Riche also had a two-hit game, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run.
NEXT UP
Pearl River gets back to MACCC action Saturday on the road against No. 9 Northwest. The first pitch in Senatobia is at noon. The games will be livestreamed at NWCCRangers.com/watch.
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