MARIANNA, Fla. — No. 2 Pearl River softball's pitching staff excelled Saturday as the Wildcats combined for fourteen strikeouts and allowed just one run, defeating No. 8 Rock Valley 2-1 and Chipola 8-0 in run rule fashion.
"We've got three arms that are throwing just as good as the next," head coach Christie Meeks said. "We're able to just do things based on match ups. It was good to control things on the offensive side for Rock Valley like we did. Then we turned around and did the same thing to Chipola. That was huge tonight."
GAME ONE
Ana-Grace Garcia (Baton Rouge, La.; St. Joseph's) got the start inside the circle for Pearl River (16-2 overall) against No. 8 Rock Valley (10-1). In the first inning, Garcia retired the Golden Eagles in order, forcing three groundouts to send them back to the dugout quickly.
The Wildcat offense responded in the bottom half of the inning, giving Garcia some early run support. With two outs, Natalee Eaves (Louisville; Choctaw Central) sent a single through the six-hole, and Shania Fondren (Batesville; South Panola) followed by ripping a double into the gap in center field to put Pearl River on the board with a 1-0 lead.
Pitching with the advantage, Garcia continued to settle in during the second inning. She recorded her first strikeout of the game and once again retired the Golden Eagles in order. Rock Valley applied pressure in the third, placing two runners on base, but Garcia slammed the door shut by recording her second strikeout of the afternoon to end the threat.
Garcia remained in control throughout the fourth and fifth innings, allowing just one baserunner while adding two more strikeouts to bring her total to four. In the fifth inning, Pearl River threatened again when Jaycee Holifield (Laurel; Stringer) led off with a double. The Wildcats were unable to capitalize, however, and the score remained 1-0.
Pearl River added an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Kai Goodman (New Orleans; John Curtis) led off the inning with an inside-the-park home run, extending the Wildcats' lead to 2-0. Rock Valley managed to push across a run in the seventh inning, but Garcia held firm. With the tying run on base, she induced a ground ball that resulted in a fielder's choice at third base to end the game and secure a 2-1 victory for Pearl River. The loss was the first of the season for Rock Valley.
GAME TWO
Pearl River struck early against Chipola College (11-16), plating two runs in the first inning. Back-to-back singles from Goodman and Addy Grace Alexander (Poplarville) set the tone before Eaves drove in the first run with a ground ball to the first-base side. Fondren quickly followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, giving the Wildcats an early 2-0 advantage.
Teegan DeWitt (Pass Christian; Hancock) entered the circle with the lead and wasted no time settling in, striking out one batter during a 1-2-3 opening inning. In the second, DeWitt issued a leadoff walk but quickly regrouped, retiring the next three Chipola hitters to keep Pearl River in front. DeWitt continued to control the game through the third and fourth innings, allowing no runs while adding two more strikeouts to her total and maintaining the Wildcats' 2-0 lead.
Pearl River's offense broke through again in the fifth inning. After two leadoff walks put runners on base, Holifield delivered an RBI to extend the lead to 3-0. With momentum building, two more Wildcats reached base before Zion Seals (Shannon; Nettleton) added an RBI to push the advantage to 4-0. With the bases loaded, Goodman worked a four-pitch walk, bringing in another run and giving Pearl River a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
DeWitt continued her dominant performance in the fifth, striking out two batters to bring her total to six and sending the Wildcats back to the plate.
Pearl River matched its three-run fifth inning with another three-run outburst in the sixth. Back-to-back doubles by Maeli Ben (Conehatta; Newton County) and Holifield, followed by a single from Anastasia Acree (Mobile, Ala.; Alma Bryant), helped stretch the lead to 8-0. Needing just three outs to secure the run-rule victory, DeWitt finished the job in dominant fashion. She struck out two batters and induced a groundout to seal the 8-0 win and send the Wildcats home with the run-rule victory.
NEXT UP
Pearl River starts MACCC play Tuesday as they head to Southwest for a doubleheader. The games will be livestreamed at Go.SMCCBears.TV.
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