Ridgeland back to .500 after two-game slide
After needing a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh to beat Dade County at home this last Saturday, the Ridgeland Lady Panthers made sure no late-game heroics would be needed in the rematch.
The Black-and-White pounded out 16 hits and got a big day from sophomore Bryanna Goldsmith as they thumped the Lady Wolverines, 12-3, in a non-region game last Tuesday night in Trenton.
Ridgeland was nursing a 5-3 lead going into the top of the fifth when they put the game away with seven unanswered runs over the next two innings. Makayla Cope belted a two-run homer as part of a three-run fifth inning and Goldsmith drove in three runs on a bases-loaded triple to help contribute to a four-run sixth.
Goldsmith finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs. She also got the win the circle, allowing three earned runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
Danielle Cross was 3-for-4 in the victory. Cordasia Watkins had a double as one of her two hits. She scored three times and finished with two RBIs, while Vanessa Hart also had two hits and two RBIs. Maggie Dickson collected two hits and scored twice. Marianne Beliveau was 2-for-5 with an RBI and Brittany Holder drew two walks and scored twice in the victory.
Just 24 hours later, the Lady Panthers were shut down by the Lady Colts from Varnell. Ridgeland managed just one walk and a Dickson single against Coahulla Creek, who did most of its damage with a four-run second inning.
Goldsmith took the loss for Ridgeland. She gave up seven hits and walked five batters in 3.1 innings, finishing with just two strikeouts. Karlie Thomas pitched well in relief as she struck out one batter in 1.2 hitless innings of shutout ball. Thursday night was another tough outing for the Lady Panthers as Alivia Rymer hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Lady Mountaineers the walk-off victory. Ridgeland trailed 4-3 after five innings, but scored twice in the top of the sixth to go ahead by one.
Watkins tripled and finished with two hits on the afternoon. She also drew two walks and drove in two runs. Hart added a double for Ridgeland (2-2), while Cross, Dickson and Carlin Scott all had one RBI each.
Thomas started in the circle for the Lady Panthers and gave up three earned runs on two hits and a walk before being replaced by Hailey Carroll. Carroll went three innings and allowed one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts. Goldsmith pitched the final three innings and took the loss, giving up two earned runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout.