BAINBRIDGE — The Colquitt County softball team jumped out to a 7-0 lead and went on to defeat Bainbridge 13-6 in its season-opener on Thursday in Bainbridge.

The win was the first for Taylor Barber, the former Colquitt County baseball player who took over the Lady Packers program this season after five years at Tift County.

The Colquitt girls pounded out 11 hits, including three by shortstop Kamry Paulk, and led 13-2 before the Lady Cats score four runs in the bottom of the seventh.

The Lady Packers also got two hits each from RaJayla McBride and Peyton Arrington. Lanie Burley and Libby Wetherington each had a double and Lilah Thompson and Shyanne Harp added singles.

One of Arrington’s hits was a double and Thompson drove in four runs.

Arrington started in the circle and was solid, giving up just two runs on five hits and two walks over the first five innings. She struck out six.

Thompson pitched the final two innings.

In his first game after taking over from Chance Pitts, who over the last eight seasons posted the most wins in Lady Packers history, Barber was the beneficiary of a three-run first inning and two runs in each of the next three innings.

The Lady Packers wasted little time jumping on the Lady Cats.

McBride lead off the game by beating out an infield hit and scored the first run of the season on a double by Arrington.

One out later, Burley doubled to drive in Gracie McKellar, the courtesy runner for Arrington.

Wetherington’s double drove in the final run of the 3-run first.

In the second inning, Arrington singled in Rheygan Harrell and Rhylee Tillery drove in McBride with a sacrifice fly to put Colquitt up 5-0.

In the two-run third, Thompson drove in a run on a ground out and Harrell hit a sacrifice fly to score Wetherington.

After Bainbridge scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, Colquitt extended its lead to 9-2 on a two-run single by Thompson in the top of the fourth.

After the two teams each scored four times in the seventh, the 1-0 Lady Packers headed back to Moultrie to begin preparations for their home-opener scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday against Cairo at Packer Park.