MOULTRIE – The Colquitt County slow-pitch softball team went to bat just four times on Wednesday, but still got a sweep of its doubleheader with Macon County.
The Lady Packers won 14-2 in 2 1/2 innings in first game and 11-0 in 2 1/2 innings in the nightcap of its Area 1 twin bill against the visiting Lady Bulldogs.
Macon County had not won a game before making the 90-mile trek down from Montezuma to meet the Colquitt County girls at Packer Park.
And even though they scored a pair of runs in the first inning of the first game, it was clear the Lady Bulldogs were no match for their hosts, who are now 4-2 and winners of four games in a row.
The first Macon County batter reached on an error and the next four drew walks, resulting in the only two runs of the short visit to Moultrie.
Kamry Paulk came on in relief after the fourth walk and retired the next nine batters she faced, striking out five.
Paulk started the second game in the circle and faced just 10 batters.
Two reached on errors and one of those was erased when she attempted to take an extra base on an overthrow.
Paulk, a veteran of the Colquitt County fast-pitch team, led the Lady Packers with four hits in the two 2 1/2-inning games.
Caroline Eidson, Allie Eure and Ryleigh Webb each had three hits; Ryleigh Tillery and Addison Moore each had two.
Anna Lynn Armstrong, Caselynn Allen and Ava Fields each had one hit.
Every girl in the Colquitt County lineup scored at least one run in the doubleheader.
The Colquitt County girls now will prepare for Hancock Central, which will travel 180 miles to play at Packer Park next Wednesday, March 26.
The Lady Bulldogs from Sparta will provide the opposition on Alumni Night, when the revived slow-pitch program will honor the Lady Packers who played from 1984-2000.
Dot Causey, mother of the late Angie Causey Davis who played on the first Lady Packers team in 1984 and later became a varsity assistant coach, will throw out the first pitch before the first game.
Between games, Lady Packer slow-pitch alumni will be introduced.
The first Colquitt County slow-pitch team went 10-8 in 1984.
Coached by Missie Brock and Michelle Fowler, the team included Angie Causey, Tina Crosby, DeAnna Clayton, Billie Jo Cooper, Kendra Lyles, Vanessa Taylor, Donna Turner, Lisa Stallings, Robi Dalton, Kathy Holder, Sandra Johnson, Cindy Paulk, Susan Clark, Dawn Payne, Julia Poole, Staci Howell, Lara Baell, Lisa Miller and Dana Lewis.
Brock coached the Lady Packers from 1984-1987 and posted a record of 49-27.
Priscilla Albright led the team in 1988 and 1989 and had a record of 14-18.
In 1990, the program turned to former Packer baseball player Keith Croft, who led the Colquitt County girls to a 9-11 record.
Donald Dale coached the team the next season, when Colquitt went 5-14.
Croft returned in 1992 and the team never again had a losing record.
When the program closed down its slow-pitch program after the 2000 season and started playing fast-pitch in 2001, Croft had produced a 176-88 record.
His 1997 and 2000 teams finished third in the state.
The 1999 Lady Packers were fourth in the state.
The 2000 team, the last to play slow-pitch for Colquitt County before this season, included Jodi Beth Hammock, Monica Lott, Joni Bozeman, P.J. Horne, Tera Willis, Roxanne Hood, Melissa Weaver, Geneva Christy, Mary Sue Weaver, Kelli Moser, Britney Wetherington, Jill Clark, Misty Whittington, Ashley Gray and Janice Huckaby.
Over the years, a number of the Lady Packer slow-pitch alumni earned All-Region honors, the first of whom was Julie Clark in 1992.
The following season, Clark and Sallie Conger were named to the first team and Melinda Lee and Amanda West earned honorable mention.
Lee received honorable mention again in 1994.
The following season freshman Aisha Wallace was named to the first team and Mandy Hammock and Britni Anderson received honorable mention.
Wallace was named to the first team again in 1996 and Hammock was selected for the second team.
Colquitt County had its first 20-win season in 1997.
Helping lead the 20-12 Lady Packers to a third-place in the state tournament in Columbus was Wallace, who was named the region Player of the Year.
Selected for the first team were Lindsay Griner, Wendy Whittington and Gina DeRosso. Holly Weathers, Leslie Whittington and Jennifer Baker received honorable mention.
When the Lady Packers went 20-6 in 1998, Wallace, Weathers and Britney Wetherington were named to the All-Region first team.
No All-Region teams were selected in 1999, when the Lady Packers went 27-8, and in 2000, when the final team posted a 28-6 record.
Former players interested in attending the Alumni Night games should text Lady Packers coach Chance Pitts at 873-5840 to get on the admission list.