Late Sutton RBI sends Lady Packers past TCC

Published 10:24 pm Monday, August 28, 2023

MOULTRIE – Kaden Sutton’s two-out, two-strike single in the top of the seventh inning drove in Carli Pearson with what proved to be the winning run in Colquitt County’s 6-5 victory over Thomas County Central on Monday in Thomasville.

Freshman Lilah Thompson, who went the distance, retired the Lady Jackets in order in the bottom of the seventh as the Colquitt County girls raised their record to 7-5 heading into Tuesday’s Region 1-7A opener at Valdosta.

The Lady Packers were out-hit 13-9, but Thompson made pitches when she had to. The Lady Jackets stranded 11 runners over the first six innings.

Colquitt jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead when Maris Hopper led off the game with a double and scored on a triple by Pearson. RaJayla McBride’s ground out scored Pearson.

The Lady Packers’ lead went to 3-0 in the second when Montana Tatum doubled and scored on another two-base hit by Libby Wetherington.

The Jackets took the lead with a pair of runs in both the third and fifth innings, but Colquitt responded in the top of sixth with a pair of two-out runs.

McBride, who had singled to open the inning, scored the first on a wild pitch. Rheygan Harrell scored the other on a Wethington base hit to right.

The Lady Jackets tied the game on a two-out single in the bottom of sixth, setting up Sutton’s seventh-inning heroics.

Hopper, Tatum and Wetherington each had two hits; Pearson, McBride and Sutton had the others.

Thompson raised her record to 2-1. Only three of the five runs she surrendered were earned. Her ERA is now 3.09.