Lady Wildcats earn big road win at NEJ, look to win second round series on Friday as they host game two
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Eighth grader Amiyah Garrett (31) is shown after sliding in safely at home to give GCHS a 4-0 lead in the top of the seventh at Northeast Jones on Thursday.
Photo by BRAD CROWE | Special to the Herald
By RUSSELL TURNER
Herald Editor
The Greene County High School softball team used strong pitching and timely hitting on Thursday as the Lady Wildcats defeated the Northeast Jones 4-0 to take a 1-0 lead in the teams’ best-of-three series in the second round of the MHSAA 4A State Playoffs.
It was the third straight shutout win for GCHS in the playoffs and the first loss for Northeast Jones in 18 games. Most importantly, it puts the Lady Cats one win away from advancing to the Round of 16.
“It was a huge win,” GCHS Head Coach Kyle Long said afterward. “Very proud of these ladies for the fight they showed.”
“But it’s a three game series. NE jones will play really well with their season on the line. They are a really good team, not much separated us tonight. We’ve got to play well to win again.”
The Lady Cats came out of the gate hot, getting a double from sophomore Zamiah Knight and a single from classmate Shanna Johnson to start the game. But, the next three Wildcats were retired in order and GCHS failed to get a run across.
That remained the case for both teams through four innings as the game settled into quite the pitching duel. Greene County starter, freshman Addie Tungett, got into a little trouble with three straight walks in the bottom of the second inning. After the first walk, the batter stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. The second NEJ batter to draw a walk never stopped at first base and Tungett made the Tigers pay as she faked a throw to second and then turned to throw behind and pick off the runner at third for out number two.
Tungett pretty much controlled the game from that point. She struck out the next batter, pushing her past the 100-strikeout mark for the season, and ending the Lady Tiger’s threat. She worked around an error in the bottom of the third and retired NEJ in order until giving up a leadoff double to start the bottom of the sixth. She struck out the next three Tiger batters to end that threat and after allowing another walk in the seventh, struck out the final two batters she faced to seal the complete-game win.
In all, she walked four NEJ batters, but gave up just the one hit in the sixth and finished the game with 14 strikeouts to her credit.
NEJ pitcher Caroline Myrick had a solid outing as well, but GCHS was able to touch her for six hits. The Lady Cats finally broke open the scoring in the top of the fifth. An error and a hit batsmen put eighth grader Belle Stringer and Knight on the bases. Following a groundout for the second out of the inning, Junior Erin Meadows crushed the third pitch she saw over the center field fence for a 3-run homer to put Greene County on top.
Junior Erin Meadows is shown connecting for a double in the third inning of the Lady Cats’ win at Laurel on Thursday. Meadows followed with a 3-run home and a sacrifice fly to finish with four RBIs on the night.
Photo by BRAD CROWE | Special to the Herald
The Lady Cats added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Eighth grader Amiyah ‘Peach’ Garrett led off the inning with a single, followed by a walk by Knight. Long called on Johnson to lay down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Johnson did her job and so did Meadows, as she drove in her fourth run of the night with a sacrifice fly to center field. The speedy Garrett made it count as she tagged up and beat the throw to the plate.
“Addie and Erin both did great jobs for us,” Long said. “They came up big in key moments, but it was a team effort.”
“We got a great sac bunt from Shanna in the 7th and a big inning from Peach. That was a great job by her as an 8th grader to pick us up there.”
The Lady Wildcats will look to claim the series tonight at home as they host NEJ for game two of the series. A win will push GCHS into a third round matchup with the winner of the Purvis and Pass Christian series. A loss to the Lady Tigers on Friday will set up a deciding game three back in Laurel on Monday.
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