River splits with Southwest

POPLARVILLE Pearl River Lady Wildcats split with Southwest Mississippi Lady Bears here Thursday in a make-up MACJC South Division softball doubleheader, winning the first game 4-2 before falling 4-1 in the nightcap. The twin bill was originally scheduled for March 8, but was postponed due to rainy conditions. PRCC is now 14-8 overall and 6-2 in division play, while SMCC is 10-10 and 3-5. In the first game, Southwest went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning when Lady Wildcat starter Sheila Hall of Dutchtown (La.) High School walked lead off batter Tipheri Grimes and Erin Stuckey crushed an RBI double to left field two outs later before Whitney Moore grounded to short for the final out. But The River took the lead in the bottom of the second when Brittney Gary of Slidell (La.) High drew a two-out base on balls, Ashley Graeter of Poplarville High doubled to center, and ETrareo Warren of Meridian High followed with a two-run single to center field to make it 2-1. Paris Redd of Greene County High grounded out to second base to end the inning. The Lady Wildcats left runners stranded at first and second in the bottom of the third, while the Lady Bears tied it up in the top of the fourth when lead off batter Lindsay Clark crushed a solo homer over the left field fence. In the bottom of the frame, PRCC regained the lead for good. Warren and Redd got things going with both smacking two-out singles and Brandy Rester of Poplarville High followed with an RBI single down the third-base line before SMCC starter Whitney Moore struck out Samantha Spence of George County High to end the inning. That score remained intact until the bottom of the sixth when Graeter led off with a single to left, Redd singled to the center field fence an out later, and Rester followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2. Spence hit into a double play to end the inning. Southwest Mississippi went three up, three down in the top of the seventh to end the game. Hall (7-4) got the win in going the distance, giving up a meager three hits, striking out five, and walking one; while Moore was the losing pitcher. She also went the distance, giving up 10 hits, striking out three, and walking two. Clark homered (one RBI), Stuckey doubled (one RBI), and Grimes singled for the Lady Bears. Graeter paced PRCC at the plate with a double and a single, while Redd, Rester (two RBIs), and Warren (two RBIs) had two singles each. Designated hitter Heather Hester of Hancock County High and Spence both singled. PRCC and SMCC played an error-free game. In the nightcap, Pearl River left 10 runners stranded on base, including six in the first three scoreless innings. Southwest left runners at first and third in the top of the first off singles by Clark and Stuckey, while The River left runners at first and second off a hit batter and a single by Jordan Adams of DIberville High. In the bottom of the second, Warren and Janessa Dedeaux of Poplarville High cracked back-to-back one-out singles, but were left stranded, while in the bottom of the third, Adams, who singled, and Graeter, who reached on the game only error, were left on. In the top of the fourth, the Lady Bears unleashed a three-run barrage. Stuckey led off with a triple and scored off Moore ensuing singled to right field. Bethany Wall followed with a walk and two outs later, Shelbi Conerly singled in Moore and Grimes singled in Wall to make it 3-0 before Brooke Szigeti grounded to second for the final out. Pearl River answered with its only run of the game in the bottom of the frame. Warren led off with a double to right center field and scored two outs later off Rester single to left. Spence followed with a base hits, but Adams flew out to right to end the inning. In the top of the fifth, Clark and Stuckey led off with back-to-back singles and Clark scored the final run of the game an out later off Wall single to center field. PRCC starter Hester saw Karlee Clinton foul out before striking out Aseye Attipoe with runners at second and third. Redd managed an up-the-middle single in the bottom of the inning for the game final hit. Both sides went three up, three down in the sixth, while each team managed one base runner in the seventh off base on balls. Starter Ashlyn Grisaffe got the win in going the distance, giving up eight hits, striking out two, walking one, and hitting a batter; while Hester (6-5) got the loss. She also went the distance, giving up 10 hits, striking out four, and walking two. Stuckey led the Lady Bears with a triple and two singles, while Clark and Grimes (one RBI) had two singles each. Moore (one RBI), Karah Smith (one RBI), and Wall (one RBI) all had base hits. Warren paced the Lady Wildcats with a double and a single, while Adams had two base hits and Dedeaux, Rester (one RBI), Redd, and Spence all singled. SMCC committed one error in the game to PRCC none. Pearl River returns to action Saturday when its hosts South Division arch-rival Mississippi Gulf Coast in a 12 noon doubleheader, then Jones County visits Wednesday for a 4 p.m. division twin bill.