Fifth-ranked Pierce County sandwiched a pair of losses to state-ranked foes around a Region 3AA opening win.
The Lady Bears dropped a 14-6 home decision Monday, August 25 to visiting Class A DI second-ranked Jeff Davis. PCHS bounced back a day later beating region foe Tattnall County 5-2 Tuesday, August 26 outside Reidsville. Class AA thirdranked Appling County handed the Lady Bears an 8-0 setback Thursday, August 28 in Bearville.
Pierce County is scheduled to play four home tilts this week. Class A DII Wheeler County visited Tuesday, September 2 followed by Class 5A Coffee coming to town Thursday, September 4 for a 6 p.m. matchup. The Lady Bears will host Class 3A Long County Saturday, September 6 in Game 1 of a tripleheader at 11 a.m. They will face Class A DII Lanier County at 3 p.m., following the Long County-Lanier County middle game at 1 p.m.
PCHS travels Tuesday, September 9 to Adel to face region mate Crisp County. Sixth-ranked Cook comes to town Thursday, September 11 for a 5 p.m. tilt.
No. 2 Jeff Davis......14 No. 5 Lady Bears .....6
BEARVILLE — The Lady Yellow Jackets scored 13 of their 14 runs over two innings including a seven-run seventh to pull away from a 7-6 lead to beat PCHS.
Pierce County built a 40 lead through three innings scoring once in the first and three times in the third. Olivia Bennett (1for-3) led off the Lady Bears’ first with a triple. She scored on Taylor Tomlinson’s (1-for-2) one-out, sacrifice fly.
After stranding two (Carley Sloan, 3-for-3, and Parker Sinclair, 1-for-3) in the second, the Lady Bears scored three times in the third in opening up a four-run advantage.
Bennett drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Lanie Mai’s (2for-4) infield hit. After a walk to Tomlinson, the runners moved up on Kaylee Figueroa’s fly ball out. Sloan ripped an 0-1 offering for a two-run double for a 4-0 lead. Consecutive strikeouts ended the inning.
Jeff Davis struck for six runs in the fourth against Tomlinson (4 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP) getting half on Claire Stinson’s (3-for-5) first roundtripper of the game cutting the deficit to 4-3. A bases loaded walk forced home a run tying the score before the first out was recorded. A twoout, two-run single broke the tie giving the Lady Yellow Jackets a 6-4 lead.
The visitors struck for a run in the fifth against Sloan (3 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 K, 1 BB). A leadoff double, error and a fielder’s choice groundout scored the run.
The Lady Bears answered with a run in the bottom of the inning pulling to within 7-5. Tomlinson blooped a leadoff single and raced to third on Sloan’s one-out double. After a walk to Sinclair loaded the bases, Tomlinson scored on an errant pickoff attempt. Jeff Davis got out of the jam with an inning-ending double play.
PCHS closed the margin to 7-6 with a run in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Leeanna Davis reached on a one-out error with Maelee Childers re-inserted as the runner. After Bennett drew a four-pitch walk, Mai punched a soft single scoring Childers.
Jeff Davis blew the game open in the seventh scoring seven times on a grand slam homer by Madison Joyce (2-for-4) and a two-run shot from Stinson to open up a 14-6 lead.
PCHS was unable to score in the bottom of the inning after loading the bases with nobody out. Sloan began the frame with a single, Sinclair reached on an error and Eva Horne worked an eight-pitch walk. Two strikeouts and an infield pop squelched the rally.
No. 5 Lady Bears.....5 Tattnall County.......2
REIDSVILLE — Pierce County banged out six extra base hits and scored four of its five runs in the first two innings to turn back the Lady Warriors.
The Lady Bears were gifted a first inning run on a two-out error by Tattnall County. Bennett (2-for-2) and Tomlinson (2-for-3) sandwiched walks around the first out. Bennett scored from second when Sloan’s two-out grounder was misplayed.
PCHS scored three runs in the second to open up a 4-0 lead. Harper Larson (2-for-3) laced a one-out double and scored on Bennett’s two-out double for a 2-0 lead. A run-scoring single by Mai (2-for-5) on the ensuing pitch was followed by Tomlinson’s first-pitch, run-scoring double.
The Lady Bears left the bases loaded in the third on a one-out walk to Davis and a single by Larson, and Bennett getting hit by a two-out pitch. Figueroa was left standing in the fourth after getting drilled by a one-out offering.
Tattnall County scored twice in the bottom of the fourth against Sloan (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 K, 1 BB) cutting the deficit to 4-2. A two-out, two-run single, the fourth hit of the inning, was the big blow. Mai recorded the first out of the inning with a throw to the plate to nail a Lady Warrior base runner.
PCHS got one run back in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-2. Bennett reached on a two-base error, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Tomlinson’s double.
The Lady Bears were unable to get insurance runs in the seventh after leadoff walks to Sinclair, Childers and Larson.
No. 2 Appling Co.....8 No. 5 Lady Bears ....0
BEARVILLE — The Lady Pirates scored all of their runs in the first three innings in beating Pierce County in five innings.
Appling County struck for two runs in the first against Sloan (1.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 K, 2 BB). A one-out walk was followed three pitches later by a run-scoring triple. An ensuing groundout scored the second run.
The visitors struck for four runs in the second inning in opening up a 6--0 advantage. A one-out, bases loaded error scored the first two runs. A passed ball and a groundout followed plating the final two runs.
The Lady Pirates collected their final two runs in the third inning against Tomlinson (3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 K, 2 BB). A two-out walk loaded the bases and kept the inning alive. A run-scoring single and a walk forcing home a run followed.
PCHS managed four hits getting a one-out single by Mai (1-for-3) in the first, a single from Figueroa (1-for-2) in the second), a leadoff double by Bennett (1-for-3) in the third and a leadoff pinch-hit single by Larson (1-for-1) in the fifth.
