After being unable to pitch all season because of labrum inflammation, Colquitt County senior Maris Hopper went back in the circle to pitch in the third inning of the Lady Packers’ 20-5 victory over Valdosta on Monday at Packer Park. It was the final home game of the season.

MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County softball team needed fewer than three innings to run-rule Valdosta 20-5 on Monday at Packer Park as the team warms up for the postseason and chases a third straight 20-win season.

The game also featured a return to the circle by Maris Hopper, who had been expected to be the team’s top pitcher this season, but who had not faced a batter suffering shoulder inflammation.

With the Lady Packers leading 15-1, coach Chance Pitts sent his senior left-hander out for the top of the third.

Hopper was rusty and gave up four runs, two hits, issued a pair of walks and hit a batter. She also struck out two batters before being lifted.

But Pitts was pleased he was able to let her pitch in the final home game of her senior season.

“I wanted to do that, for what she has done for us over the last three years,” he said. “I wanted to see her one more time and I think everyone else did too.”

Hopper brought a 15-4 career record with a 2.81 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 142 innings into the season.

And while the shoulder pain left her unable to pitch effectively and hampered her throwing while in the field, it has not affected her hitting.

She went 4-for-4 against the Lady Wildcats raising her batting average from .483 to .505.

She lined her team-leading fourth triple of the year in the third inning and her two runs batted in give her 31 for season, which also leads the team.

Although the Lady Packers reached the 15-run advantage with just two outs in the third inning, they already had 18 hits, including a walk-off two-run homer by Kaden Sutton.

Leading 15-5 in the third, Colquitt got a leadoff double by Gracie McKellar, who scored on a wild pitch.

And after two were out, RaJayla McBride walked and scored on a triple by Carli Pearson. Hopper followed with her triple, but Colquitt still needed two runs to put the mercy-rule into effect.

Sutton took care of that by hitting a liner over the center field fence.

Pearson and Sutton each had three hits; McBride and Libby Wetherington each had two; and McKellar, winning pitcher Peyton Arrington, Rhylee Tillery and Lanie Burley had the others.

Arrington allowed one run and one infield hit over the first two innings. She struck out three and walked one.

Lilah Thompson relieved Hopper with two outs in the third and needed just one pitch to get Valdosta second baseman Charlee Futch to hit a come-backer to end the inning.

The game was the second in the three-game Region 1-7A series between Colquitt County and Valdosta.

The Lady Packers had won the first meeting 8-0 back on Sept. 7.

Now 9-2 in the region and 18-9 overall, Colquitt can get one win closer to the 20-victory plateau when it meets the Lady Wildcats at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Valdosta.

Weather permitting, the Lady Packers will close out the regular season with a 5:30 p.m. non-region game on Wednesday at Lanier County.

The weather forecast is calling for a 60-percent chance of rain.

The Lady Packers are expected to meet Parkview when they compete as Region 1’s No. 2 team in the Super Regional at East Coweta on Monday and Tuesday.

The top eight finishers from the Super Regionals will go to the Columbus Softball Complex on Oct. 26-28 and vie for the Class 7A state championship.