Pearl River puts on an offensive display in sweep of Coastal Alabama South

Richard Gleber - PRCC Sports Media

POPLARVILLE, Miss. —The Pearl River softball team remained undefeated at Wildcat Stadium with a sweep of Coastal Alabama South. The Wildcats opened the day with a 9-5 victory in game one and a 14-4 run-rule win in game two.

“It is a big deal when you can sweep anybody at home or away,” PRCC head coach Christie Meeks commented on the sweep. “I am very proud of the way they played as a team.”

PEARL RIVER 9, COASTAL ALABAMA SOUTH 5

After a scoreless top of the first inning, the Wildcats (8-2 overall) got on the board first in the bottom half of the frame. Morgan Lavergne (Baton Rouge, La.; Central) got on base with a rocket past the third baseman. Lavergne scored on a Bryn Daughtery (Vancleave) single to center field to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

Coastal Alabama South (0-7 overall) tied the score in the top of the second. Pearl River could not generate a run in the bottom of the second, and the score remained tied, 1-1, going into the top of the third.

Destiney Gary (Greenwell Springs, La.; Central) opened the top of the third inning with a beautiful diving catch in left field. After another Coastal Alabama South out, the Sun Chiefs put a baserunner with a double to deep right. In their next at-bat, Coastal Alabama South plated two runs with a home run. PRCC reduced the lead to one, 3-2, with a Julianah Overstreet (Vancleave) home run in the bottom of the third inning.

PRCC made a pitching change in the top of the fourth inning, bringing Natalie Herrington (Petal) in to relieve starter Bella Crawley (Ocean Springs). Coastal Alabama South played two runs in the top of the fourth to increase their lead to 5-2.

The Wildcat bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning as PRCC tied the score, 5-5. Daughtery opened the fourth with a double. She scored on the next at-bat as Ashlyn Dean (Picayune; Pearl River Central) followed with a double of her own to bring the score to 5-3. Klair Cuevas (Poplarville; Hancock) had a monster home run to score Dean and tie the game 5-5.

Brinson Anne Rogers (Statesboro, Ga.) entered the game in relief of Herrington in the top of the fifth. It took her no time to get to work, striking out the last two batters of the inning.

Cassidy Cartwright (Poplarville) wasted no time in the bottom of the fifth, putting the Wildcats up, 6-5, with a solo home run in the first at-bat of the inning.

Rogers made quick work of Coastal Alabama South in the top of the sixth, striking out all three batters faced.

CharLee Meadows (Piave; Greene County) opened the bottom of the sixth with a double. Lavergne walked in the next PRCC at-bat, and Cartwright was put on base after getting hit by a pitch. Daughtery plated both runners with a single to left field, bringing the Wildcat lead to 9-5.

Rogers closed out the game by registering her seventh strikeout for the final out.

BY THE NUMBERS

Rogers pitched three scoreless innings in relief, striking out six.

Daughtery was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs. Meadows was 2-for-3 with one run, and West was 2-for-4. Cuevas was 1-for-3 with one home run, two RBIs and one run. Overstreet was 1-for-4 with one home run, one RBI and one run scored.

PEARL RIVER 14, COASTAL ALABAMA SOUTH 4

The Wildcat offense put on a clinic in game two against the Sun Chiefs, scoring four runs in each of the first three innings.

After giving up an early run, pitcher Mya Young (Paxton, Fla.) settled down and retired the last three batters in the inning while recording her first strike out of the game.

Dallyn Nance (Nanih Waiya) opened the bottom half of the first, legging out a blooper over the third baseman’s head for a double. A Lavergne sacrifice advanced Nance to third, and Nance scored on an Overstreet ground out. Cartwright reached base after being hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a Daughtery single, where Daughtery reached second on a bad throw. Jena Pacheco (Vancleave) drove in Cartwright and Daughtery to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead. Pacheco scored on a Cuevas double to bring the lead to 4-1.

The PRCC defense only saw four batters in the second inning, the defense was highlighted by a long run by Pacheco to bring in a foul ball for the first out, and Young closed out the inning with her second strikeout of the night. The Wildcat offense picked up where they left off in the first. After the first two Wildcat batters, Meadows and Nance, reached by walk and hit by pitch, respectively, a Lavergne double to left scored Meadows, and an Overstreet bunt brought Nance in to extend the lead to 6-1. Later in the inning, Lavergne stole home to bring the score to 7-1, and Cartwright scored as Pacheco advanced her on an error by the Coastal Alabama South first baseman. The Wildcats headed into the top of the third with an 8-1 lead.

Destiney Gary opened the top bottom of the third with a solo home run on the first pitch of the inning. After Meadows and Nance walked, Lavergne hit a three-run home run over the left field fence to increase the Wildcat lead to 12-1.

The Sun Chiefs scored one run in the top of the fourth to bring the score to 12-2. The Wildcats scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, Pacheco scored on a bases-loaded walk, and Gary scored on a fielder’s choice to bring the Wildcat lead to 14-2 after four innings.

Coastal Alabama scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, but it wasn’t enough as the Wildcats won 14-4.

LEADING THE WAY

Lavergne went 2-for-3 for the game with one home run, five RBIs and scored twice. Nance was 1-for-1 with one RBI, two runs scored and two walks. Gary was 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs scored and two walks. Overstreet went 1-for-2 with two RBI.

Morgan Lavergne hits a three-run home run against Coastal Alabama South (Richard Gleber/PRCC Athletics)

Young threw a complete game, registering four strikeouts.

“Mya Young did a phenomenal job,” Meeks said of Young’s pitching performance. “Pitching sets the tone for a lot of things. She did a great job of getting that third out, shutting the inning down.”

NEXT UP

The Wildcats will travel to Eunice, La., to play Lamar State and LSU-Eunice on Wednesday at 4/6 p.m.

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