Thursday, February 11, 2010

LSU-E sweeps in 2010 PRCC softball openers
Lady ’Cats take 7-5, 12-4 home losses to Lady Bengals

    POPLARVILLE — Pearl River’s Lady Wildcats opened their 2010 softball season on a down note here Wednesday, falling to LSU-Eunice 7-5 and 12-4.
    PRCC dropped to 0-2 with the doubleheader sweep, while the visiting Lady Bengals improved to 4-1. Wednesday’s twin bill was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was postponed due to wet field conditions.
    Eight-year Lady Wildcat head coach Leigh White said she saw promise despite the losses.
    “From what I saw today, we should be okay,” White said. “We got 14 hits in the first game (the 7-5 setback) to their eight, so we’ve got potential at the plate. And we were going up against a good, solid team with lots of tradition.
    “We’ll get better.”
    Sophomore righthander Corinne Fraychineaud of Slidell, La., who was instrumental in PRCC’s third-place finish in the MACJC South Division last season, is currently sidelined with a bruised left wrist.
    “Corinne would’ve definitely started one of our games today, but we’re hopeful that she’ll be ready to go next week some time,” White continued.
    Freshman Sheila Hall of Baton Rouge, La., started both games and sophomore Katie Barrett of Bay High relieved.
    In the first game, LSU-E went up 2-0 in the top of the first, but PRCC bounced back to take a one-run lead in the bottom of the third with a three-run effort. The Lady Bengals answered to seal the win with four runs in the top of fourth, then added a solo score in the sixth. The Lady Wildcats scored solo runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth.
    Starter Leah Andres (2-0) got the win in going the distance, striking out four and walking none; while Hall was the loser in her three-and-one-thirds innings of action. She recorded two strikeouts and three walks before Barrett relieved in the fourth, striking out one and walking one.
    Karli Wainwright led LSU-E at the plate with a triple and a single, while Sam Bella doubled and singled, Whitney East doubled, and Cat Danos, Chasity Gary, and Chaney Trahan all singled.
    Kaci Mitchell of Petal High paced PRCC’s 14-hit barrage with four base hits, while freshman Brandy Rester of Poplarville High had three singled in her collegiate debut. Bethany Russell of D’Iberville High doubled and singled, Lacey Freeman of Forrest County AHS had two singles, Laurin Locke of Petal High doubled, and Mykeal Maes of Hancock County and Tiffany Reed of Picayune High both had base hits.
    Both teams committed two errors each in the game.
    In the nightcap, things were 3-2 Lady Bengals after the first frame with the Lady Wildcats tying it up at 3-3 with a solo run in the bottom of the third before LSU-E blew it open in the fourth with a six-run barrage. The visitors added three more in the seventh, while PRCC scored one in the bottom of the inning.
    Starter Stacy Sutton (1-1) got the win in going the distance, striking out five, walking none, and hitting one batter; while Hall (0-2) got the loss in the three-and-one-thirds innings. Hall, who also returned to the game to close it out in the seventh, walked three before Barrett relieved in the fourth.
    Gary led the Lady Bengals’ 13-hit attack with three singles, while Damos and Haley Sanchez both doubled and singled. Chaney Trahan had two singles, Haley McCall doubled, and Katie Ocmand, Ashley Parr, and Wainwright all had base hits.
    Pearl River finished with seven hits, led by Rester’s three singles, while Baleigh Volking of Enterprise High had a two-run homer in the first and a single. Locke and Maes also had base hits.
    LSU-E committed one error in the game, while PRCC had four miscues.
    The Lady Wildcats return to action Friday with a road trip to Holmes in Goodman for a 3 p.m. doubleheader, then East Mississippi plays host in Scooba Tuesday for a 4 p.m. twin bill.