Sixth-ranked Pierce County had a season-best sevengame winning streak ended at the end of last week’s three-game schedule.
The Lady Bears (17-8 overall, 5-3 region) won for the eighth time in nine games Tuesday, September 30 handing top-ranked Cook (20-3, 6-2) its second straight loss winning 6-2 in Adel.
The victory over the Lady Hornets, who had their 10game winning streak snapped Thursday, September 25 at third-ranked Appling County, posted an 11-3 victory in Bearville September 9.
PCHS followed Wednesday, October 1 with an 11-3 decision over Class A DII Metter (13-8). The Lady Tigers entered having won nine of their last 12 games including three straight. The 11 runs allowed tied Metter’s seasonhigh mark in a loss to current Class 5A Effingham County.
Pierce County ended the week and region schedule with an 11-1 loss at Appling County (12-4, 7-1). The Lady Pirates blanked PCHS 8-0 in the August 28 matchup in Bearville.
The Lady Bears close out the regular season this week. PCHS hosted Class A DI third-ranked Bacon County Monday, October 6. Pierce Count traveled Tuesday, October 7 to Twin City to face Class A DII ECI. The Lady Bears finish Thursday, October 9 with a home date against Wilcox County at 6 p.m.
PCHS is currently ranked 11th in the GHSA post-season rankings. Only region champions are guaranteed seedings one thru eight in the 32-team field. The final 24 spots are at-large berths.
No. 6 Lady Bears ............................................6 No. 1 Cook ......................................................2
ADEL — Pierce County scored all the runs it would need with a three-run first inning and added three insurance runs over the final two innings for the down Cook.
Taylor Tomlinson (4 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) and Carley Sloan (3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1K, 0 BB) combined to limit the Lady Hornets.
Four consecutive twoout hits, including three doubles, plated the Lady Bears’ three runs in the first inning. Tomlinson (1for-2) kept the inning alive with a double. Courtesy runner Sophia White scored on Parker Sinclair’s ensuing double for a 1-0 lead.
Kaylee Figueroa (1-for-2) lined an 0-2 pitch driving home Sinclair’s courtesy runner, Zoe O’Berry. Sloan (2-for-3) lined the next offering for a double scoring O’Berry for a 3-0 advantage.
Cook scored single runs in the first and third innings to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Lady Hornets scored on a two-out single in their first at bat and a run-producing ground out in the third.
PCHS padded its advantage with a run in the sixth. Tomlinson drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Figueroa’s oneout sacrifice bunt. Sloan followed two pitches later with a base hit driving home Tomlinson for a 4-2 lead.
The Lady Bears added two runs in the seventh to open up a 6-2 advantage. Eva Horne drew a fourpitch, leadoff walk followed by a Maelee Childers (2-for-3) single.
Olivia Bennett (1-for-4) hit the next offering for a run-scoring double. Tomlinson’s one-out sacrifice fly plated Childers for the final four-run margin.
No. 6 Lady Bears ....11 No. 8 Metter ............3
BEARVILLE — PCHS scored the final seven runs pulling away from one-run lead to beat the visiting Lady Tigers.
Pierce County struck for four runs in its opening at bat after Sloan (4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 K, 4 BB) worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the inning.
Bennett worked a leadoff walk with Harper Larson (1-for-4) reaching when her sacrifice bunt was misplayed. After a walk to Tomlinson loaded the bases, Sinclair (2-for-4) blooped a run-scoring single to center.
Figueroa (1-for-3) followed with a walk, forcing home Larson with the second run. Sloan’s (2-for-3) double two pitches later scored Tomlinson and White, courtesy running for Sinclair.
Metter came right back with a three-run second getting a two-out, runscoring double and a tworun homer to pull to within 4-3.
The Lady Bears responded with a run in the bottom of the inning on Larson’s one-out, solo homer, her second of the season.
PCHS chased home two runs in the fourth, extending the lead to 7-3. Tomlinson reached on a one-out error with Figueroa lining a two-out single. After both moved up on a wild pitch, Sloan laced a two-run double.
Pierce County ended the game in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four times without an out recorded.
Sinclair opened the inning reaching on an error and raced to second on Figueroa’s dropped third strike. A walk to Sloan loaded the bases.
Lanie Mai (3-for-4) lined a 1-0 pitch for a tworun double. Consecutive errors on balls hit by Horne and Childers (2for-4) each plated a run, ending the game via the “mercy rule.”
Tomlinson worked two innings of one-hit ball striking out two. She walked one and hit a batter.
No. 3 Appling Co. ...11 No. 6 Lady Bears......1
BAXLEY — Appling County banged out 11 hits against three Lady Bear pitchers to complete the season sweep.
The Lady Pirates scored in the first inning on a sacrifice popup on the infield against Tomlinson (2+ IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, o K, 2 BB).
They added four in the second to open up a 5-0 lead. Appling County scored on an error, tworun double and a two-out single.
The Lady Pirates added two in the fourth, increasing their advantage to 7-0 on a one-out, two-run homer off Sloan (3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 0 BB).
PCHS scored its lone run in the fifth. Horne (1for-2) and Childers (1-for-2) lined consecutive oneout singles. Larson (2-for-3) drove home Horne with a two-out base hit, bringing the Lady Bears to within 7-1.
The Lady Pirates ended the game in the sixth, scoring four times against O’Berry (0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 K, 2 BB). Two walks to start the inning were followed by a run-scoring single and a game-ending three-run homer.
