GCHS softball and baseball sweeps Forrest County AHS on big Tuesday night for both programs
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
GCHS junior Peyton Roberts is shown sliding into second base during the Cats’ big win at Purvis last week. Roberts is one of several GCHS baseball and softball players that have been on a tear of late as both teams try to position themselves for postseason play.
Wildcats secure playoff berth, Lady Cats keep hopes alive
From Staff Reports
Tuesday was a big night on the diamond for Greene County High School as the Wildcats and Lady Cats swept Forrest County AHS in key baseball and softball action.
The GCHS softball team trounced the visiting Lady Aggiest 11-0 to remain in the playoff hunt with two region games remaining. Meanwhile, the baseball team made a road trip to Brooklyn and came home with a 9-4 win that secured their third straight trip to the postseason.
At 3-5 in region play, the Lady Wildcats are in a battle with Poplarville for the region’s third and final playoff spot. The Cats take on Purvis on Thursday with their season on the line. They need to win that game and take home another victory in their region finale at Forrest County AHS and hope that Poplarville loses their final two matchups to the top two teams in the region, Purvis and Lawrence County.
Its a tough draw for GCHS, but head coach Tyler Barham believes his team has a solid chance.
“We went through a rough stretch with some tough losses,” Barham said. “But, we played quality ball despite dropping some close games.”
“We had a 2-run lead on Purvis going into the final inning of our first matchup, but couldn’t hold the lead. Still, we know we can compete with them and are looking forward to the opportunity.”
The baseball team secured its playoff berth Tuesday, but still has plenty to play for when the Aggies come to Scott Bray Field on Friday. A win will bump the Cats in to the region’s third seed and send GCHS into the playoffs on a high note.
“I’m excited,” head coach Nick Chatham said late Tuesday after claiming a key win on the road. “We’ve been playing pretty well lately and this is the time of year when you want that to be the case.”
“We’ve looked like a totally different team over the past few games, compared to a month ago. And, that has started at the plate where we have really swung the bats well. Hopefully, we can keep that going.”
A 5-0 loss to Purvis on April 2 didn’t bode well for the Cats chances, but they responded with a huge 5-2 win on the road three days later. Juniors Peyton Roberts, Dylan Miller and Drake Henderson had big outings, as did seniors Garrett West and Kenneth Moore. Roberts was the pacesetter in the leadoff spot and finished the night 3-of-4 at the plate with two runs scored. Miller also had a hit and scored, while Henderson, West and Moore each had RBI’s. Henderson, who will start Friday’s matchup with the Aggies, tossed a complete game to earn the win on the mound against the Tornados.
On Tuesday, GCHS pounded out 11 hits and posted a 6-run third inning to give freshman Connor West all the help he needed to get his third win of the year. Roberts came up big again in the win, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored. He got things started in the big third inning with a 2-out single and scored on a double by Miller, who finished with a RBI and a run scored. Senior Noah Mitchell had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored, while Henderson had two hits, one RBI and scored twice. Moore and West also drove in runs in the win.
On the mound, West tossed a complete game, scattering eight hits with just one walk. He also struck out five Aggie batters.
Back on campus at GCHS, Sophomore Kat Garrett had a big night Lady Cats. Garrett finished the win with four RBIs and a no-doubter for her first home run of the year. Unfortunately, no other individual stats from Tuesday’s softball win were available at the time of this report.
Be sure to head out to GCHS Thursday and Friday to support the Wildcats and Lady Cats. The girls will take on Purvis Thursday with the junior varsity kicking things off at 5 p.m. On Friday, the Wildcats JV will get things going against the Aggies at 4:30 p.m. with varsity action immediately following.
