MOULTRIE — Maris Hopper was all smiles after hitting a home run for the Colquitt County Lady Packer softball team, with the entire team waiting for her and cheering her on.

Hopper hit her home run during the fifth inning in the game against Tift County, Wednesday evening at Packer Park. The Lady Packers lost the game against Tift County 9-8.

The score remained zeros until the bottom of the second when the Lady Packers completed the first four runs of the game.

Riley Tillery, Libby Wetherington and RaJayla McBride each scored one run during the first five innings. Hopper scored three.

By the end of the fifth the score was 6-4, advantage Colquitt County; however, Tift County managed to both shut down the Lady Packers in the sixth inning and score four more runs before the bottom of the seventh.

When the Lady Packers went up to bat for the final time, the score was 9-6, advantage Tift County.

Though they battled hard, the Lady Packers only managed to score two more runs before the third out, leaving one runner on base and ending the game.

Hopper scored her fourth run in the game on Rheygan Harrell’s single and then Harrell was able to score after Wetherington grounded out to Tift County’s pitcher.

When fielding, the Lady Packers saw 33 total chances with 10 assists, 21 putouts and two errors.

After their loss against Tift County, the varsity Lady Packer softball team faced Valdosta at Packer Park on Thursday.

Though the evening was supposed to be a doubleheader, lighting resulted in a 1.5-hour delay of the first pitch; therefore, the teams only played one game.

The Lady Packers shut out the Wildcats 8-0, and before the end of the first inning the score was 2-0.

Several of the runs completed by the Lady Packers were the results of errors by Valdosta.

For the first run of the game, Carli Pearson scored after a miscue.

When the third baseman for Valdosta had another error, Pearson was able to score during the fourth inning. Her third and final run of the game was during the bottom of the second.

The final error that allowed the Lady Packers to gain a run came during the fourth inning when Wetherington took advantage of a wild pitch.

Also scoring runs during the game against Valdosta were Hopper, McBride, Tillery, Emily Holweger and Lanie Burley.}Burley was the only Lady Packer to hit a triple while Hopper hit a double.

Pitcher Arrington faced 19 batters and threw 71 pitches. Of those, 53 were strikes and 18 were balls. Fielding, the Lady Packers saw 20 total chances, with 15 putouts, three assists and two errors.

The varsity Lady Packer softball team will next battle Camden County at Packer Park, Tuesday September 12 at 5 p.m.