Lady Packers defeat
Bainbridge in opener

Published 11:09 pm Monday, August 4, 2025

MOULTRIE – It was not a smooth season-opener for the Colquitt County softball team on Monday at Packer Park.
There was the distraction of the first day of school.
Then there was rain that washed out the scheduled junior varsity game and threatened to do the same to the varsity game against Bainbridge.
Then the Lady Cats scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning and held the Lady Packers scoreless until the third.
But behind the pitching of Lilah Thompson and solid hitting throughout the lineup, the Colquitt County girls put up six runs in the third inning and eight more in the fourth to take a 14-2 mercy rule win to start the 2025 season.
The Lady Packers will face a more formidable opponent on Tuesday when they travel to Leesburg to meet Lee County.
But they got the Monday win by overcoming a slow start in front of the home fans in a game that just hours earlier faced postponement because of rain.
But the drain tile put under the field last year did its job and the game went on without a hitch.
Lilah Thompson started in the circle for the Lady Packers and after striking out the Bainbridge leadoff batter, she gave up walk, a single and a two-run double by Auburn Culpepper.
But after walking the next batter, Thompson retired 11 of the next 12 Lady Cats as the Colquitt County offense slowly gained momentum behind her.
The Lady Packers took the lead for good in the bottom of the third with five hits leading to six runs.
Among the hits were doubles by Peyton Arrington and Kamry Paulk and a triple by Rheygan Harrell.
Paulk’s double drove in two runs as did Harrell’s triple.
The Lady Packers took advantage of three walks and two hit batsmen to score eight times in fthe ourth inning to get the win.
“Lilah did a nice job shutting it down after that first inning,” coach Taylor Barber said.
First baseman Rhylee Tillery got singles her first three times at the plate and was hit by a pitch in her final at bat.
No other Lady Packer had more than one hit.
“And we played well defensively,” said Barber. “But we’ve still got a long way to go.”
The next step will be against a talented Lee County team that will be playing its season-opener on Tuesday.
Colquitt will send Arrington, the 2024 Region 1-6A Player of the Year, to the circle to try to get the Lady Packers off to a 2-0 start.
“They will be a good challenge for us,” Barber said of Lee County, one of South Georgia’s top programs.