Blue Devils take Game 1 over Stone 4-2

Junior Payton Lee launched her 8th home run of the season to lift Pearl River Central Blue Devils to a 4-2 win over Stone at Wiggins in Game 1 of their best of 3 series.

The Blue Devils score two runs in the second inning. Keigan Pearson singled to center and one out later Payton Lee doubled just inside the left field line to put runners at second and third. Taylor Kauzlarich dropped a perfect bunt toward first base and beat it out to load the bases. After a strike out, Harlee Davis came to the plate to bat with two outs. On the 0-2 pitch, a wild pitch allowed Pearson to score from third with Lee and Kauzlarich moving up one base. After the 2-2 pitch to Davis, Lee broke from third when the catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher and the pitcher’s throw back to the catcher was not in time and Lee scored to make it 2-0.

Stone scored twice in the bottom of the 4th inning on three hits to tie the game at 2-2.

In the bottom of the 5th, Stone got the lead off batter on and Jazmin Robertson replaced Madison Smith in the circle. Robertson struck out the first batter she faced before giving up a single. After a sacrifice bunt for an out, Robertson got another strike out on the cleanup hitter to close the inning.

In the top of the 6th, Pearson walked with one out. After a fly out for the second out, Lee crushed an 0-1 pitch deep over the left field fence for a two run home run to give PRC a 4-2 lead. (video of Lee's home run is below)

Robertson retired the Lady Cats in order in the 6th and 7th to close out the game.

“The big thing is that we did not walk a batter today. We made some big plays, but we didn’t play clean. Payton kind of saved us,“ Head Coach Tony Labella said.

PRC (18-10) will host Game 2 on Tuesday in Carriere at 5:00 pm. WRJW coverage starts at 4:50 pm on wrjwradio.com (click on the Wildcat). The game will be joined in progress on WRJW 1320 AM at 6:00 pm.