The North Pike Lady Jaguars looked unfazed despite facing elimination Wednesday night, rallying from a 1-0 loss in Game 1 to sweep a pair of games from Vancleave to advance in the Mississippi High School Activities Association 4A playoffs. The Lady Jags edged out a thrilling 3-2 victory in eight innings in Game 2 before closing the door on Vancleave with a 6-0 rout in Game 3.
Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2, North Pike’s Sarah Brock hit a high fly ball into the setting sun that would eventually fall between two Vancleave outfielders, scoring Danaraye Parks from second to clinch a victory and the right to play a Game 3. North Pike’s offense exploded in Game 3, and the Lady Jags managed to stave off elimination and continue through the tournament.
“It’s always good to know and have it in the back of your mind that we can come from behind if we get beat in Game 1,” North Pike coach Sonya Wallace said after Game 3.
Both teams had their aces in the pitcher’s circle for Game 2, the same two pitchers that held Game 1 of the series to a 1-0 score.
North Pike’s Lauren Wells and Vancleave’s Kristen Gardner did not disappoint in Wednesday’s Game 2 rematch, dueling into extra innings for their teams.
North Pike’s Jordan Fitzgerald recorded the first base hit of the game for either team in the bottom of the fourth on an infield single off Gardner. Wells would allow her first base hit in the top of the fifth, but managed to strand the runner.
The Lady Jags got on the board for the first time in the bottom of the fifth inning. They scored their first run on a Parks safety squeeze, and followed with their second run on a bloop single off the bat of Sarah Brock.
Vancleave knotted the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh on a Dora Forehand RBI double followed by a Contessa Thomas RBI single. Wells settled back down, closing the seventh inning without any further damage before recording three quick outs in the eighth inning to set up the game’s dramatic conclusion.
“This pitcher (Gardner), we just struggled against her,” Wallace said. “We just needed someone to break the ice, and when we finally did it gave us some confidence.
“Lauren did a great job on the mound,” Wallace continued. “She threw the ball well.”
The Lady Jags settled into their comfort zone in Game 3, driving the ball to all areas of the ballpark, while fouling off handfuls of pitches in every at-bat to wear Gardner down in the circle.
North Pike managed two runs in the second inning, a run in the third, two more in the fourth and one final run in the fifth, scoring six runs on just seven hits for the game.
Vancleave could only manage one hit in Game 3 and only four total hits between both games in Summit Wednesday.
“We are so fortunate to have Lauren,” Wallace said. “This is big for her. She’s a senior, this is do-or-die for her.”
Wells only pitched four innings of Game 3, as Wallace elected to give Madison Bigner two innings of work to prepare for any circumstance down the line this postseason. North Pike later inserted Alli Summers to close the game out in the seventh inning.
North Pike is scheduled to resume its playoff run Friday in a third round series against Newton County, which swept Magee 15-2 and 13-3 in the second round this week.
