Lady Wolves Wrap Up Regular Season With Sweep of Lady Indians

WESSON – The Co-Lin Softball team finished the 2023 regular season with a road doubleheader against Itawamba on Tuesday, May 2. The Lady Wolves swept the Lady Indians taking game one, 8-3, and game two, 10-1.

GAME ONE

The Lady Wolves wasted no time starting their scoring as they plated two runs in the top of the first. Josie Meggs (Kosciusko) started the game with a leadoff double and then advanced to third on a single by Faith Kivett (Tallulah, LA). The Lady Wolves then pulled off a double steal to score the first run of the game as Kivett took second and Meggs stole home after the throw making the score, 1-0. Kivett then scored on an RBI triple by Abby Grace Richardson (Brookhaven) making the score, 2-0, while also giving Richardson the single season RBI record with RBI number 64 on the season.

Richardson then collected RBI number 65 as she came up to bat to lead off the top of the third, took one swing of the bat, and crushed a full count pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run, her 18th of the season, to increase the lead to 3-0.

After the Lady Indians scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game, the Lady Wolves responded with a five-run top of the fifth to retake the lead. Richardson and Belle West (Byram) hit back-to-back singles with one out to get the offense going. A third straight single by Zykeria Cole (Magee) scored Richardson and West while Cole advanced to second on the play. Cole then stole third and scored on an error during the play while Julianna Frazier (Bogue Chitto) was then hit-by-pitch while Leia Phillips (Philadelphia) drew a walk to put two runners on with one out with the Lady Wolves leading, 6-3. Frazier was then forced out as Madison Moak (Brookhaven) reached on a fielder's choice. The Lady Wolves then pulled off another double steal as Phillips stole third while Moak swiped second behind her while Phillips then scored on an error with Moak advancing to third and then scoring on a second error on the play making the score, 8-3.

The Lady Wolves then allowed just one baserunner in the final three innings via a walk to secure the game one win over the Lady Indians.

The Lady Wolves totaled 11 hits as a team with Abby Grace Richardson leading the way going 3-for-3 at the plate and reached base safely in all four plate appearances. Josie Meggs and Belle West had two hits apiece while Faith Kivett, Zykeria Cole, Leia Phillips, and Madison Moak had one hit each. Richardson and Cole led the Lady Wolves in RBIs with two each.

Cara Biswell (Brandon) got the start for the Lady Wolves and improved to 14-2 with the complete game win allowing three runs, all earned, on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

GAME TWO

The second game of the day saw the Lady Wolves start the scoring off in the top of the second with five runs as Belle West drew a leadoff walk. West then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Leia Phillips and took third on a single by Skyler Speights (Monticello). After Speights stole second, Madison Moak hit a two-out, two RBI single scoring both West and Speights to give the Lady Wolves a 2-0 lead. Josie Meggs then drew a walk while both Moak and Meggs then scored on a two RBI triple by Faith Kivett doubling the Lady Wolves lead to 4-0. Kivett then scored on an RBI double by Maddie Weeks (Clinton) increasing the lead to 5-0.

The Lady Wolves then added two runs in the top of the third as West reached on an error, Zykeria Cole was hit-by-pitch, and Speights drew a walk after an out to load the bases. West then scored on a sacrifice fly by Moak while Cole scored as Meggs reached on an error increasing the lead to 7-0.

The Lady Wolves added a single run in the top of the fourth as Weeks drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third as Abby Grace Richardson reached on an error, and then scored on a one-out RBI single by Cole giving the Lady Wolves an 8-0 lead. The Lady Indians then got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a one-out solo home run cutting the lead down to 8-1.

After a scoreless fifth inning from both teams, the Lady Wolves added their final two runs in the top of the sixth. Richardson drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a passed ball, and then took third as Cole reached on an error to put runners on the corners with one out. Cole then stole second while an error on the play allowed Richardson to score and then Cole took third on the same error. Cole then scored on an RBI groundout by Laurel Breland (Lake) making the score, 10-1.

The Lady Indians then got a leadoff single and had two runners on with one out in the bottom of the sixth, but a game ending double play sealed the game two win and sweep for the Lady Wolves.

The Lady Wolves totaled six hits as a team with Maddie Weeks leading the way going 2-for-3 at the plate while Faith Kivett, Zykeria Cole, Skyler Speights, and Madison Moak had one hit each. Moak led the Lady Wolves in RBIs with three while Kivett had two RBIs with Weeks, Cole, and Laurel Breland adding one RBI each.

Lila Blackburn (Red Bay, AL) got the start for the Lady Wolves and improved to 12-2 with the complete game win allowing one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Co-Lin finishes the 2023 regular season 38-8 overall, 25-3 in conference play, and have locked up the No. 2 seed in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament which will start on May 9 on the campus of Jones in Ellisville. The Lady Wolves will play the winner of the No. 7/No. 10 seed matchup on Wednesday, May 10 scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at Community Bank Park.