Lady Packers fall to Thomas County Central

Published 9:14 pm Tuesday, September 8, 2020

MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County softball team loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the first inning of their home-opener against Thomas County Central on Tuesday, but got nothing to show for it and went on to fall to Lady Jackets 7-2 at Lady Packer Field.

The Lady Packers were trying to build some momentum for Thursday’s Region 1-7A doubleheader against Tift County, which also will be at Packer Park.

Colquitt was swept in a doubleheader at Lowndes last week to fall to 2-2 in the region. The loss to Thomas County Central, a team the Lady Packers defeated by the same 7-2 score back on Aug. 17 in Thomasville, drops their overall record to 5-7.

Coach Chance Pitts’s girls had played 11 road games to start the season before finally getting to play in their own yard, but they were unable to take advantage of it.

Not only did the Lady Packers let that first-inning opportunity slip away on Tuesday, they also committed five errors, leading to five unearned runs.

Jade Horne went the first 3.2 innings and gave up six runs, but only two were earned.

Kyla Morris finished up, surrendering just two infield singles. The only run she gave up came on a two-out throwing error in the sixth inning.

Kaylee Barrett was again in the circle for the Lady Jackets, but she threw much better than when the two teams met last month.

After giving up seven runs, four earned, and 10 hits in the first meeting, Barrett scattered eight hits and came up with big pitches when she needed them on Tuesday.

Colquitt stranded 10 runners.

The Lady Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Emily Hobbs reached on an error and went to third on Barrett’s single. She scored when Barrett was thrown out trying to steal second base.

But Colquitt quickly got to Barrett in the bottom of the first.

Madison Plymel led off with a double and remained at second when she successfully eluded a rundown on a ground ball that allowed Emily Allegood to reach on a fielder’s choice.

Julia Duncan’s bunt for a base hit loaded the bases.

Morgan Holder then hit a ground ball to short that resulted in Plymel being forced out at the plate.

Carli Pearson then hit the ball hard to third, but Hobbs fielded it cleanly, tagged out Allegood and stepped on the bag to complete the inning-ending double play.

The Lady Packers were trailing 6-0 by the time they were able to push an unearned run across in the fourth.

Pearson singled in Allegood, who had doubled, for Colquitt’s final run in the fifth.

Allegood added two singles to her double to lead the Lady Packers with three hits.

Plymel, Duncan, Holden, Pearson and Horne had the other Colquitt County hits.

Tift County, coached by former Colquitt County assistant Taylor Barber, will bring an 0-4 region record to Moultrie for the Thursday doubleheader, which will start at 4 p.m.

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