River swept at Southwest

SUMMIT Pearl River Lady Wildcats were swept by Southwest Mississippi in MACJC South Division softball action here Friday, falling to the Lady Bears 7-6 and 8-2.PRCC, the reigning MACJC state champion, committed a whopping nine errors in the doubleheader, including six in the first game. The Lady Wildcats dropped to 17-15 overall and 9-7 in division play, while the Lady Bears improved to 14-16 and 6-10.The two teams split in a previous meeting played March 24 in Poplarville with Pearl River winning the first game of the twin bill 4-2 before falling 4-1 in the nightcap game.In Friday first game, PRCC went up 2-0 in the top of the second off a two-run double by Lacey Freeman of Forrest County AHS with SMCC adding a solo run in the bottom of the frame before taking a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third.The River answered with two-run homer by Alyssa Graeter of Poplarville High in the top of the fourth to regain the lead at 4-2 and held on to that one-run edge until the bottom of the fifth when SMCC scored three to go up 6-4.In the top of the sixth, the Heather Hester of Hancock County High belted a two-run homer to knot things up at 6-6 with the Lady Bears scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh off an error.Ashlyn Grisaffe (5-7) picked up the win in going the distance, giving up nine hits, striking out three, and hitting one batter; while Sheila Hall (9-7) got the loss on the mound. She went five innings, giving up eight hits, striking out one, walking two, and hitting one batter; while Hester relieved in the sixth and struck out four.Hester paced the Lady Wildcats at the plate with a homer and a single (two RBIs), while Jordan Adams of DIberville High and Janessa Dedeaux of Poplarville High had two singles each. Graeter homered (two RBIs), Freeman doubled (two RBIs), and ETrareo Warren of Meridian High singled.Bethany Wall led Southwest with a double and a single, while Hali Sasser and Whitney Moore had two singles each. Aseye Attipoe tripled and Erin Stuckey singled.The Lady Bears played error free in the game.In the nightcap, the first two innings were scoreless before SMCC unleashed a five-run barrage in the bottom of the third and never looked back. PRCC answered with solo runs in the top of the fourth and fifth, while the Lady Bears added a run in the bottom of the fourth and two in the fifth.Moore (7-5) got the win in going the distance, giving up seven hits, striking out seven, and walking one; while Hester (7-8) got the loss for PRCC. She also went the distance, giving up 13 hits, striking out three, and walking one.Freeman paced The River seven-hit effort with a double and a single, while Dedeaux, Brittney Gary of Slidell (La.) High (one RBI), Paris Redd of Greene County High, Brandy Rester of Poplarville High, and Taylor Seals of Picayune High all had singles. Adams had one RBI for the Lady Wildcats.SMCC finished with 13 hits, led by Lindsay Clark who homered, doubled, and singled; while Attipoe homered and singled. Tipheri Grimes doubled and singled, Stuckey had two base hits, and Karliee Clinton, Shelbi Conerly, Moore, and Sasser all had singles.Pearl River committed three errors in the game to Southwest one.The Lady Wildcats return to action Tuesday when they host South Division rival Copiah-Lincoln in a 4 p.m. doubleheader before division foe East Central visits Saturday, April 16, for a 12 noon twin bill.