Lady Wildcats keep streak alive, sweep Northwest

POPLARVILLE, Miss.— The Pearl River Lady Wildcats saw a little bit of everything Saturday as they swept Northwest at Lady Wildcat Stadium. After run ruling the Rangers 8-0 in Game 1, the Lady Wildcats had to match the visitors swing for swing in the 12-9 victory. The double-dip extended PRCC's winning streak to seven straight.

"The first game we really settled in and hit the ball well and pitched pretty well which is huge," PRCC coach Leigh White said. "I thought they pitched us a little bit better in the second game but we adjusted.

The big difference was we scored in just about every inning and we overcame adversity after Northwest took the lead."

Game 1: PRCC 8, NWCC 0 (5 inn.)

The Lady Wildcats (21-17 overall, 11-11 MACJC) struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Hannah Rasberry (Lucedale; George County) scored on a passed ball to give PRCC a 1-0 lead.

In the second, Brooke Fagan (Kiln; Hancock) hit an RBI single to score Neely McLeod (Lucedale; George County) and give the Lady Wildcats a 2-0 lead.

Elizabeth Taggard (Picayune) hit an RBI double to extend the lead to three.

Dallas Blaker (Bay St. Louis; OLA) followed that up with a two-run double to tack on two more runs.

Alyssa Pinero (Picayune) hit another two-run double to make it a 7-0 game.

Pinero hit another double, scoring one run, in the bottom of the fifth to give PRCC the run ruled victory.

Pinero and Taggard led the team in hits with two while Pinero led the team in RBIs with three.

Grace Stringer picked up her 10th win of the season for the Lady Wildcats.

Stringer went all five innings, allowing five hits, two walks and zero runs while striking out five.

Grace Stringer picked up her tenth win of the season as the Lady Wildcats swept Northwest 8-0 and 12-9. (Kristi Harris/PRCC ATHLETICS)

"Grace continues to get out there and get the done," White said. "She's hitting her spots and our hitters are behind her but most importantly she's playing with confidence."

Game 2: PRCC 12, NWCC 9

Taggard got the Lady Wildcats on the board in the bottom of the first with a solo shot to left field to put PRCC up 1-0.

A bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly scored two more runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Northwest (5-32, 4-18) responded in the top of the third inning by plating four runs to take a 4-3 lead.

Mary Grace Turner (Leakesville; Greene County) retook the lead for the Lady Wildcats with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the third inning to give PRCC a 5-4 lead.

McLeod followed that up with an RBI single to tack on another run.

Northwest bounced back once again scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning.

The deficit didn't last long as McLeod gave Pearl River back the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run double.

Pearl River added to its advantage in the bottom of the sixth inning by plating a run on an error and then scoring there more runs off another Turner home run that was crushed over the left field wall to give PRCC a 12-7 lead.

Northwest scored two more runs in the top of the seventh inning but Blaker slammed the door shut on the Rangers to secure the 12-9 lead.

Taggard once again led the team in hits with three while Turner led the team in RBIs with five.

"When Mary Grace hit that (second) home run, that deflated them," White said. "She brings a lot of energy to our team and you can see that the team just feeds off of that."

Rylee Swilley (Kiln; Hancock) got the start for the Lady Wildcats in the circle.

Blaker closed out the game, throwing 2 1/3 innings while allowing two hits and one earned run and striking out four.

"Our hitters were behind Rylee and Dallas today," White said. "When that happens it just gives them a lot more confidence."

SUPPORTING THE FIGHT

The Lady Wildcats wore pink Saturday to show their support for Northwest head coach Mike Rowan and his family. Rowan's wife, Kathy, is currently undergoing chemotherapy to treat breast cancer.

UP NEXT

The Lady Wildcats head to Decatur to take on East Central on Tuesday in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.

They return to Lady Wildcat Stadium Friday when they host Mississippi Delta in a doubleheader scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on Twitter (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).