Lady ''Cats sweep Lady ''Dawgs

POPLARVILLE Pearl River picked up a pair of MACJC non-division softball victories here Friday in Lady Wildcat Stadium with a 1-0, 8-0 doubleheader sweep of Holmes Lady Bulldogs.PRCC improved to 3-4 overall after Friday wins, while HCC dropped to 1-7.In the first game, the Lady Wildcats scored what proved to be game winning run off a Lady Bulldog error in the bottom of the fourth.Pearl River loaded the bases in the bottom of the first, but couldnt cash in. Heather Hester of Hancock County High and Janessa Dedeaux of Poplarville High got things rolling with back-to-back one-out singles to right field, then Alyssa Graeter of Poplarville High was belted by a pitch before Brittany LeBlanc out of North Vermillion High in Lafayette, La., struck out and ETrareo Warren of Meridian High grounded to short to end the inning.Morghan Cuevas of Purvis High cracked a lead off single down the third-base line in the second, but was left stranded at second; while Hester smacked a lead off single to left in the third, but stranded at third.In the fourth, Warren led off with a single to center, stole second and third, and scored when Hillary Dickens of Picayune High reached on an error.Both sides went three up, three down in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.Starter Hester (2-0) got the win, throwing a one-hitter and striking out two; while starter Kelsey Marter got the loss, giving up five hits, striking out four, and hitting a batter.Kelsey Shaw singled for Holmes, while Hester led The River five-hit effort with a pair of singles. Dedeaux, Neely McCrary of Petal High, and Warren all singled for the Lady Wildcats, who played error-free. HCC committed one miscue in the game.In the nightcap game, Holmes Victoria Hunt led off the game when she wound up at third base off an infield throwing error by Pearl River, but couldnt get home after starter LeBlanc struck out Kelsy Shaw, Kaitlyn Doles lined out to short, Allison Ray walked, and Alexus Moore struck out.In the bottom of the frame, Whitney Waits of Oak Grove High led off with a single to center before McCrary reached on a fielder choice and Dedeaux popped out. Graeter single and LeBlanc base on balls loaded the corners, but Warren popped to third to end the inning.After a scoreless second, PRCC got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when McCrary led off with solo homer out of center.After Holmes left a runner at second in the top of the fourth, Pearl River padded its lead in the bottom of the inning when Amanda Emerson of Sumrall High smashed a one-out solo homer over the left field fence to make it 2-0.HCC Kaitlyn Hicks led off the fifth with a smash to the right center field wall, but was nailed at second thanks to a spectacular throw by Warren. Alecia McDaniel followed with a ground out and Ginny Mills struck out.Dedeaux led off the bottom of the inning with a single to left and scored off Graeter ensuing double down the left field line. That prompted the mound exit for starter McDaniel to Allison Ray, who immediately hit LeBlanc with a pitch. Graeter scored off a double steal, while Cuevas smashed a two-run homer an out later to make it 6-0.Dickens followed with a bloop single to right and Waits doubled off a throwing error an out later. After McCrary walked, Dedeaux smacked a two-run double to left to end the game via the eight-run rule.Starter LeBlanc (1-1) got the win in going the distance, giving up two hits, striking out seven, and walking one; while starter McDaniel got the loss. She went four innings, giving up eight hits and walking one before Ray arrived in the fifth. She gave up two hits and a walk.Doles and Hunt both had singles for the Lady Bulldogs, while Cuevas paced The River 10-hit attack with a homer and a single (two RBIs). Dedeaux (two RBIs) and Graeter (RBI) both doubled and singled, while Emerson (one RBI) and McCrary (one RBI) both homered and Dickens and Waits both singled.Each team committed two errors in the game.Pearl River returns to action Saturday when it heads to the Meridian CC Tournament in Meridian (opponents, game times TBA) before traveling to Baton Rouge CC in Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, Feb. 23, for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.