MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County softball team solidified its hold on second place in Region 1-7A with a doubleheader sweep on Thursday at Richmond Hill.

The 5-3 and 9-6 victories raise the Lady Packers overall record to 17-9 and their region record to 8-2.

Lowndes was 8-1 in the region heading into its Thursday doubleheader at Camden County.

The Lady Packers have two region games remaining, both against Valdosta. The two teams will meet on Monday in Moultrie and on Tuesday at Valdosta.

Valdosta’s girls are 3-17 overall and 0-10 in the region.

Colquitt won the first game of its region series with Richmond Hill on Tuesday by a 7-4 score at Packer Park.

But the Lady Packers trailed the first game of the Thursday doubleheader 3-1 heading into the top of the seventh.

Lanie Burley scored on a steal of home to cut Richmond Hill’s lead to 3-2 and Carli Pearson followed with a two-out three-run home run to put the Lady Packers up 5-3.

Freshman right-hander Lilah Thompson retired the Lady Wildcats in order in the bottom of the seventh to notch her sixth win of the season.

Thompson gave up just one earned run and four hits. She struck out five and walked four.

Colquitt had just seven hits off Richmond Hill pitcher Adriana Williams.

In addition to Pearson’s homer, the Lady Packers got singles from Burley, RaJayla McBride, Maris Hopper, Kaden Sutton, Rhylee Tillery and Libby Wetherington.

Pearson’s homer was her fifth of the season. She now has 21 runs batted in.

Colquitt scored four runs in the first inning and one in the second to jump out to a 5-0 lead in its second-game victory.

Hopper had a big game with a double and a triple and four runs batted in. She leads the Lady Packers with 29 RBIs and after going 3-for-6 at Richmond Hill, the senior first baseman has her batting average up to .483.

Wetherington had a double and a single and Burley added two singles.

Sutton and Thompson also had base hits.

Kamry Paulk went the distance in the circle for the Lady Packers.

She gave up six runs, but only two were earned, and 11 hits. She struck out seven and issued two walks.

Amani Stanley and Aubrey Ragins each had three hits for Richmond Hill, which falls to 9-14 overall and 4-7 in the region.

Ainsley Washington homered for the Lady Wildcats.

Richmond Hill’s final region game will be on Oct. 12 when it plays host to Lowndes in what will be the final region game of the season.

After its games against Valdosta, Colquitt County will finish its regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Lanier County.

Wins in their final three games would give the Lady Packers their third-straight 20-win season and fourth since 2019.

The Super Regionals begin on Oct. 16 with teams vying to become one of the eight that will advance to the state championship tournament to be held Oct. 25-28 at the Columbus Softball Complex.