Lady Cats push past Poplarville 14-5 for big region road win
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GCHS seniors (L-R) Gen Walley, Kat Garrett, Kelsie Mitchell, Tiana Caver and Hannah Hillman have their team off to a 2-0 start in region play this season.
By RUSSELL TURNER
Herald Editor
The Greene County Lady Wildcats put 18 hits on the board Thursday night in Poplarville to earn a big 14-5 region win.
The victory, which pushed GCHS to 2-0 in region play and 8-2 overall, didn’t come easy though as the Lady Hornets put up a good fight and kept things tight until a couple of big innings late by the visitors.
Seniors Hannah Hillman, Kat Garrett and Tiana Caver all came up big for GCHS in the win. But, the Lady Cats’ underclassmen and impressive group of junior high starters didn’t let the veteran’s hog all the spotlight.
Garrett led the team with three runs scored and was solid at shortstop for GCHS. Hillman was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and shut down the home team in three innings of solid relief work in the pitcher’s circle. Caver had the biggest night at the plate of the three, with a double, a triple and a team-high four RBIs.
Sophomore Breeze Jordan also had a double and triple for GCHS and finished with two runs scored. Seventh grader Katie Helton had a big night with three hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while her classmate Kambrie Lawrence finished with two hits, two RBIs and a run scored.
GCHS was the hot team early, scoring in each of the first three innings. A single by senior Garrett and a double by Hillman put the Lady Cats on the board. Two batters later, Caver’s 2-out double scored Hillman. The seniors teamed up again in the top of the third. Hillman doubled with one out and Caver followed with a triple, scoring Hillman and Lawrence, who singled between them. Sophomore Taylor Brewer laid down a bunt to score Caver and GCHS appeared to be in full control midway through the third inning.
The Lady Hornets weren’t having it. An error put the lead runner on in the bottom of the third and Poplarville followed with four hits and four runs to close the gap to 6-4.
The two teams traded runs in the fourth. A triple by Jordan and a sacrifice bunt by Helton accounted for the Lady Cats’ run in the inning.
Each side squandered a double in the fifth inning, but GCHS used a couple singles, a couple walks and an error to push Helton and Garrett across and take a 9-5 lead in the top of the sixth.
Hillman got a couple of ground balls to Garrett and pop out in foul territory to Brewer at first for a quick bottom half of the fifth inning. The Lady Cats carried that momentum into the top of the seventh and added five insurance runs. Jordan and Lawrence each doubled to help push the GCHS lead to 14-5.
Purvis got a 1-out single for a little life in the bottom of the seventh, but Garrett put the matter to rest with by doubling-up the baserunner on a line-out to shortstop to end the game.
Brewer went four innings to earn the win in the circle. She scattered seven hits and allowed four earned runs, striking out four along the way. Hillman struck out one over three innings, but allowed just one hit and needed just 19 pitches (14 of which were strikes) to get the save.
GCHS will take on George County at home on Tuesday and follow that up with region games against Purvis at home on Thursday and Forrest County AHS on the road on Friday.
