Monday, March 17, 2008
Lady Wildcats sweep Lady Bulldogs with 4-3, 11-0 wins; now 14-1 overall
PRCC opens MACJC South Division schedule Tuesday

     POPLARVILLE — Pearl River’s Lady Wildcats swept the Holmes Lady Bulldogs here Saturday in MACJC non-division doubleheader softball action, taking 4-3 and 11-0 victories to improve to 14-1 overall.
      The twin bill was a preliminary to PRCC’s South Division opener set for Tuesday when Southwest Mississippi visits Lady Wildcat Stadium for a 5 p.m. doubleheader.
      Sixth-year head coach Leigh White was elated with Saturday’s wins, but realizes they mean nothing when it comes to the division derby.
      “Basically, we’re back to peg one,” White said. “We’re starting over. As great as the success has been so far this season, it really means nothing when it comes to the division.
      “It’s (success) definitely something to build on, but everybody in the South (division) is 0-0 at this point. It’s anybody’s race.”
      Defeat is something the Lady Wildcats aren’t accustomed to as they haven’t lost since their third game of the season when they took a 6-5 road setback in the first half of a twin bill with Faulkner State (Ala.) in Bay Minette, Ala.
      “The South Division will be as competitive this year as its ever been,” White continued. “We’ve got to gear up and keep the ball rolling.”
      In Saturday’s opening game against Holmes, the Lady Wildcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning off a Viki Ferencak single, an RBI double by Judy Barber, and an RBI single by Jessica Dubuisson. The Lady Bulldogs bounced back in the top of the fourth with a solo run via a lead off walk by Kacy Vanderlip and back-to-back one-out singles by Chelsea Raines and Christina Heath.
      With one out, Dubuisson, PRCC’s starting pitcher, then walked Alli Parsons to load the bases, then got out of the jam by striking out Jennifer Cowart before Jessie Allred popped out.
      In the top of the sixth, Raines led off with a double and stole third an out later before Dubuisson struck out Parsons and Brittany Hodges flew out to end the threat.
      Dubuisson padded the Lady Wildcats’ lead in the bottom of the frame when she led off with an inside-the-park home run to make it 3-1. Morgan Necaise and Whitney Sumpter followed with singles before pinch runner Kayla Williamson was tagged for a third out in a run down between home and third.
      The Lady Bulldogs retaliated in the top of the seventh when Allred led off with a walk and Vanderlip smashed a two-run homer two outs later to knot things up at 3-3. But Pearl River had ample opportunity to clinch the win in the bottom of the inning.
      With two outs, Bridgett Hannaford reached after being hit by a pitch, then Barber singled and wound up at second off an errant pick off throw. Dubuisson followed with a walk to load the bases, resulting in Kim Summers exiting the mound for Rebecca Carter who struck out Sarah Favre to end the threat and throw things into an extra inning.
      Holmes zilched in the top of the eight, while Sumpter drove in the game-winning run with a hard shot to short with the bases loaded to end the game.
      Dubuisson (7-1) picked up the win in going the distance, striking out nine and walking three; while Carter got the loss in her 1 1/3 innings of action. She gave up one hit, struck out one, and walking one; while Aubrey Pinkard started and went four innings, giving up five hits and striking out one. Summers relieved in the fifth, giving up four hits, striking out one, walking one, and hitting one batter.
      Raines paced HCC’s six-hit effort with a double and a single, while Vanderlip homered, Rachel Fairchild doubled, and Christina Heath (one RBI) and Cowart both singled.
      PRCC finished with 10 hits, led by Necaise’s three singles, while Dubuisson homered and singled (two RBIs), Barber doubled and singled (one RBI), and Ferencak, Hannaford, and Sumpter (one RBI) all had base hits.
      Pearl River committed one error to Holmes’ two.
      In the nightcap, the Lady Wildcats scored three in the second, two in the third, and six in the fourth, while holding the Lady Bulldogs scoreless to take the win via the 10-run rule.
      Molly Stell (6-0) hurled a three-hitter in picking up the win in going the distance, striking out six and walking one; while HCC starter Pinkard go the loss in her two innings on the mound. Raines relieved in the third and went 1 1/3 innings, before Summers took over for the last out of the fourth.
      Carter had two singles for Holmes, while Beth Livingston had a base hit.
      Virginia Blanchett (two RBIs), Courtney Dickens (two RBIs), and Ferencak paced PRCC’s 11-hit attack with two singles a piece, while Necaise smacked a two-run homer in the third. Dubuisson doubled and Hannaford (two RBIs), Kaci Mitchell (one RBI), and Sumpter all had base hits.
      The Lady Wildcats played error-free, while the Lady Bulldogs committed four miscues.
      After Tuesday’s division opener, defending MACJC and Region 23 champion Mississippi Gulf Coast visits Lady Wildcat Stadium Thursday for a division doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.