Lady Tide tops Wayne County 14-4 in Game 1
Picayune’s Lady Tide made the most of their opportunities in Monday’s Game 1 against Wayne County, using timely hitting and great pitching by Megan Dudenhefer to claim a 14-4 victory in Game 1 of their best of three series.
Picayune scored two runs in the bottom of the first. Jessica Magee singled to left to start the frame. With two outs, Elizabeth Taggard doubled to left center scoring Magee. Poppy McDonald tripled to left field to bring in Taggard.
Wayne County scored a run in the top of the second when Haley Clark walked and Emily Rigney beat out a bunt for a single. Clark stole third one out later and scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, Picayune sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs. Magee beat out a ground ball for a single and Alyssa Pinero walked. Dudenhefer bunted the ball to the third baseman, but the throw to first was wide and rolled down the right field line allowing both Magee and Pinero to score and Dudenhefer ended up on third. Taggard grounded out to second scoring courtesy runner Rianna McNeely. McDonald and De’Andrea Cunningham both singled. Madyson Turnage singled to right scoring McDonald. Lexis Picou doubled to right center scoring Cunningham. Magee, who was five for five on the night, tripled to deep left field scoring Turnage and Picou to make the score 9-1.
Wayne County loaded the bases in their half of the fourth, but a great play by Taggard helped hold the War Eagles to only one run. Tica Watts singled to left and Clark walked. Rigney beat out a bunt to load the bases. After a strike out, Brook Jordan bunted toward first and Taggard charged in, grabbed the ball and tagged out Watts at home plate. With two outs, courtesy Shae Hundley scored when she got caught in a rundown between third and home and was able to eventually score to make it 9-3.
The Lady Tide got a single run in the bottom of the inning when Dudenhefer singled and McNeely ran for her. After a walk put Taggard at first and McNeely at second, McDonald single to plate McNeely.
The War Eagles got two runs in the top of the fifth on a walk to Mollie Singleterry, a bunt single by Magie West, and a walk to Camryn Miller. Singleterry scored on a wild pitch and West scored on a sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Clark to make the score 10-4.
Picayune ended the game by virtue of the 10 run rule by pushing across four runs in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, McDonald beat out a ground ball for a single, Cunningham doubled over the left fielder’s head to score McDonald. Turnage walked and Picou singled to score Cunningham. Magee ended the game with her fifth hit, a triple to the fence in left field to plate Turnage and Picou.
“I told the ladies game one is important and you have to take it one game at a time but this one, playing at home and getting the win at home means only having to go and win at their place once,” Lady Tide head coach Kristi Mitchell said. “Wayne County is a tough place to have to go play so this gives us some momentum going into that on Wednesday.”
Dudenhefer pitched all five innings gathering 11 strikeouts while Jessica Magee led the Tide with an impressive five for five night and 4 RBIs.
“Megan has done a good job for us in the circle this year,” Mitchell said. “I’d say she struggled just a little bit at first but then she found her groove and boy she really did a good job.”
“Jessica, she’s gritty and she wants to win. She’s one of those players who goes out there and gives it to you when it’s game time,” Mitchell continued. “I’m excited for her, she turned it on the last game then today she was ready. She told me she was ready, so five for five that’s awesome.”
The Lady Tide, now 19-7-1, will travel to Waynesboro to face the War Eagles Wednesday at 5pm for Game 2. Game 3, if necessary, will be played following Game 2.
