Lady Wolves Split With Raiders

WESSON – The Co-Lin Softball team played their final non-conference game of the 2023 regular season as they hosted No. 2 Northwest Florida State on Wednesday, March 8. The teams split the doubleheader as the Raiders won game one, 9-3, and the Lady Wolves getting a walk-off win in game two, 6-5.

GAME ONE

The Raiders took an early lead in game one as they scored one run in the top of the first. However, the Lady Wolves responded with a single run in the bottom of the second as Maddie Weeks (Clinton) took one swing of the bat and crushed her seventh home run of the season to right field to tie the game at 1-1.

The Raiders then took the lead back in the top of the third as they scored four runs, taking advantage of an error by the Lady Wolves during the inning, to take a 5-1 lead. The Raiders then added one run in the top of the fifth to increase their lead to 6-1.

The Lady Wolves added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Raiders lead in half as Madison Moak (Brookhaven) started the inning reaching on an error and advancing to second on the play. Moak then took third while Faith Kivett (Tallulah, LA) singled. The Lady Wolves then pulled off a double steal as Kivett swiped second, Moak stole home and scored. Kivett then later scored in the inning on a two-out RBI single by Weeks making the score 6-3.

The Raiders then added three runs in the top of the sixth to increase their lead to 9-3 and then allowed no hits or baserunners to the Lady Wolves in the final two innings to secure the game one win.

The Lady Wolves totaled seven hits as Maddie Weeks and Zykeria Cole (Magee) both went 2-for-3 at the plate while Faith Kivett, Skyler Speights (Monticello), and Josie Meggs (Kosciusko) had one hit each. Weeks led the Lady Wolves with two RBIs.

Belle West (Byram) got the start in the circle for the Lady Wolves and fell to 5-3 with the loss pitching two innings while allowing three runs, all earned, on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Lila Blackburn (Red Bay, AL) pitched four innings of relief allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits with one walk, two hit batters, and three strikeouts. Elena Thompson (Water Valley) pitched one scoreless inning of relief facing the minimum number of batters in the inning with one strikeout.

GAME TWO

The second game of the day had a similar start to game one with the Raiders taking an early lead in the first after scoring a pair of runs making the score, 2-0. However, the Lady Wolves then tied the game in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs as Julianna Frazier (Bogue Chitto) drew a leadoff walk to get the offense going. Madison Moak hit a one-out single while Faith Kivett then reached on an error to load the bases for the Lady Wolves. Frazier and Moak then scored on a two-out, two RBI single by Maddie Weeks making the score 2-2.

The Lady Wolves then scored one run in the bottom of the third to take the lead as Skyler Speights hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a groundout, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Frazier making the score 3-2. However, the Raiders tied the game with a single run of their own in the top of the fourth to tie the game once again, this time at 3-3.

The Lady Wolves regained the lead with a single run in the bottom of the fifth as Josie Meggs hit a leadoff single then Frazier and Belle West drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with no outs for the Lady Wolves. Meggs then scored on sacrifice bunt by Moak making the score, 4-3. The Lady Wolves looked to add on to the lead, but a fielder's choice followed by a fly out ended the potential big inning.

The Raiders regained the lead with two runs in the top of the seventh making the score, 5-4. The Lady Wolves started the bottom of the seventh inning with back-to-back strikeouts as West came out and singled to extend the inning while Moak then followed with a walk allowing Faith Kivett one final at-bat. Kivett delivered the game-winning two RBI double giving the Lady Wolves a walk-off, 6-5, game two win and split against the Raiders.

The Lady Wolves totaled 11 hits as a team with Maddie Weeks, Skyler Speights, Belle West, and Madison Moak had two hits apiece while Faith Kivett, Zykeria Cole, and Josie Meggs had one hit each. Kivett and Weeks led the Lady Wolves with two RBIs each while Moak and Julianna Frazier had one RBI apiece.

Cara Biswell (Brandon) got the start for the Lady Wolves and earned a no decision. Biswell pitched six innings allowing five runs, all earned, on seven hits with four walks and one strikeout. Laney Waguespack (Des Allemands, LA) moved to 3-0 on the season while picking up the win in a relief appearance pitching one scoreless inning allowing one hit with one walk.

"I am very proud of how our girls stepped up to the challenge and bounced back in game two against an extremely talented Northwest Florida State team," said Co-Lin head coach Meleah Howard. "The girls came together and played as a team in the second game and that is what we are going to need more of when we start conference play next week!"

Co-Lin is now 13-5 overall and will return to action on the road against Gulf Coast for their conference opener on Wednesday, March 15. First pitch between the Lady Wolves and Lady Bulldogs is set for 3 p.m., in Perkinston.