ANDALUSIA, Ala. — One big swing from Caroline Lindsey (Gulfport) and five lights-out innings from Ana-Grace Garcia (Baton Rouge, La.; St. Joseph's) were the difference for No. 11 Pearl River Tuesday night as the Wildcats secured a sweep against Lurleen B. Wallace.
PRCC took game one 6-5 and crushed the Saints 9-0 in game two.
"I couldn't be more proud of the fight this team had in game one. When their backs were up against the wall, they fought back," head coach Christie Meeks said. "In game two, they played with a fire under them. They reset at the plate and exploded. That's a special team to do that. A lot of teams don't do that."
It was Meeks' first trip back to Lurleen B. Wallace since her playing days with the program.
GAME ONE
Pearl River (4-0 overall) got off to a hot start against Lurleen B. Wallace (2-4), scoring in each of the first two innings. PRCC did its damage through extra-base hits in the opening frame. Peyton Hoffmayer (Ocean Springs) smacked a double and came around to score on a triple off the bat of Natalee Eaves (Louisville; Choctaw Central). A leadoff single by Maeli Ben (Conehatta; Newton County) led to PRCC's next run as she came around to score on a miscue by the Saints, 2-0.
LBW sliced the lead in half in the bottom of the second as the leadoff batter saw eight pitches before sending the ninth over the wall in left field, 2-1. The Wildcats got in some trouble in the fifth inning as three walks and a hit-by-pitch resulted in a three-run frame for Lurleen B. Wallace, 4-2.
Pearl River went quietly in the sixth, and Gracey Harbour (Batesville; South Panola) worked around a one-out double to retire LBW in the sixth. PRCC was down to its last three outs in the seventh inning and needed some magic.
Alexa Womack (Prairieville, La.; Dutchtown) entered the game as a pinch hitter and was hit by a pitch. Kai Goodman (New Orleans, La.; John Curtis) drew a walk, and Emmaleigh Theriot (Prairieville, La.; St. Amant) reached on an error to load up the bases. Following a strikeout, Eaves chopped a ball to shortstop, resulting in an RBI groundout, 4-3. Down to its last out, Pearl River's team captain, Lindsey, stepped up to the plate. She took the first pitch she saw to get her timing down and sent the next pitch flying over the wall in right-centerfield to propel PRCC ahead, 6-4.
"Caroline was the difference again," Meeks said. "She just comes in and is calm and composed. It was a big situation with the runners on second and third. It didn't phase her."
The Saints got the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the bottom half of the seventh, and although they scored one run, Harbour slammed the door to secure the win with a strikeout, 6-5.
Lindsey finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Goodman, Hoffmayer, Eaves, Ben and Kirsten Williams (Saucier; West Harrison) each had a hit.
Goodman drew the start and pitched 4 1/3 innings. She allowed three runs on four hits and six walks while striking out five. Lizzie Meeks (Ripley; Pine Grove) allowed a run, facing three batters.
Harbour earned the win, throwing 2 2/3 innings, allowing one unearned run on one hit and two walks. She struck out a pair.
"Gracey came in and gave us some energy and excitement," Meeks said. "She made great pitches and shut the door the last two innings."
GAME TWO
Pearl River again had some first-inning magic to start the second game of the day. With Goodman on third and Hoffmayer standing at second, Lindsey sent a sacrifice fly into centerfield to bring home the first run. An error on the throw to the infield resulted in the second run scoring, 2-0.
With two runs of early insurance, freshman right-hander Garcia went to work. It took her just 13 pitches to strike out the Saints in order in the first frame.
The Wildcats tacked on two more in the second. Theriot blooped a single just in front of the centerfielder to bring home PRCC's third run, and Hoffmayer laced a line drive into right field for a pair of RBIs, 5-0.
Garcia's dominance continued against the next three LBW batters as she used 15 pitches to strike out the side, running her total up to six in the early going.
Another insurance run crossed the plate in the third for PRCC. Lindsey ripped a ball into the right-centerfield gap for a double and came around to score on a Ben single, 6-0.
Garcia delivered another three up, three down inning in the third to remain perfect in the circle after three frames. Caitlyn Riche (Walker, La.) opened the fourth with the long ball, turning a 0-1 count into a leadoff homer, 7-0. It was her first of the young season.
The Saints broke up the perfect game in the bottom half of the inning with a single. They also walked twice in the frame, but Garcia escaped the jam with a flyout and two groundouts.
PRCC added its final two runs of the night in the fifth inning. With Hoffmayer and Cailey Pervel (Carriere; Pearl River Central) aboard, Anna Kate Rounsaville (Gulfport) smashed a two-run double in the gap to extend the lead further, 9-0.
Garcia returned to the circle in the fifth and quickly ended the game in a run-rule, striking out two of the three batters she faced in the frame, 9-0.
Goodman was the lone Wildcat with multiple hits in the game, scoring two runs and walking once. Hoffmayer finished 1-for-1 with two runs and two RBIs. She also drew a walk.
Lindsey, Ben, Pervel, Rounsaville and Riche each had a hit.
Garcia earned the win in the circle, giving up just one hit and two walks in five innings. She struck out an incredible eight batters, including a string of six in a row.
"I think she saw the battle and fight her team went through in the first game and knew she had to do her job and fight for them in game two," Meeks said. "She was calm, composed and under control. It was cool to see."
NEXT UP
The Wildcats head to Panama City, Florida on Friday for the Gulf Coast State Tournament. The Wildcats take on the Gulf Coast State at 3 p.m. and Daytona State at 5:30 p.m.
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