WESSON – The Copiah-Lincoln Lady Wolves softball team picked up two big South Division wins over the Gulf Coast Lady Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon in Wesson. In game one, the home team would score four runs in the bottom of the first and that would be enough for a 4-1 victory. Game two wasn’t decided until the bottom of the seventh when Savannah Johnston hit a walk-off single in a 2-1 Lady Wolves win.

Co-Lin 4, Gulf Coast 1 

Brooke Gonzales was a workhorse in the circle for Co-Lin (17-12, 9-7). Gonzales gave up just two hits, allowed no earned runs, walked three and struck out three during her seven innings of work.

Elise Richardson took the loss for Gulf Coast (22-13, 9-7). She lasted 5 2/3 innings, walked one, struck out none and allowed no runs.

The lone run of the game for Gulf Coast crossed the plate in the first inning on a passed ball.

The Co-Lin half of the first would be where the Lady Wolves did their damage. Co-Lin’s Brooke Laigast would get her team started with a double to begin the inning. Johnston would get aboard via a walk and both runners would advance a base after a sacrifice by Hannah Roberts. Laigast would then score on a passed ball and Johnston would move up to third.

Gulf Coast would then walk Co-Lin cleanup hitter Breanna McKenzie. Missy Romero then hit safely on an infield single and Co-Lin had loaded the bases with only one away. An RBI single by Payton Sheffield would bring in one run and a walk by Kayla Craft would bring in another. The final Co-Lin run of the inning and the game would come when Gonzales hit an RBI single to score Romero.

“Brooke really battled in the circle and she got some exceptional defense behind her. Shortstop Brooke Laigast was very good in the field and center fielder Savannah Johnston made a sliding catch that saved two runs in the sixth,” said Lady Wolves head coach Allen Kent.

Co-Lin 3, Gulf Coast 2 

Co-Lin won it in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Johnston off of Emily Davis that scored Beth Fortenbery. Fortenbery got aboard with a two-out double and Gulf Coast elected to intentionally walk Laigast to get Johnston to the plate.

Laigast led Co-Lin at the plate, collecting two extra-base hits and scoring two runs. She doubled in the first and sixth innings. In the first she scored on a single by McKenzie and in the sixth she scored on an RBI double by Roberts.

Rheagan Welch picked up the win for Co-Lin. She pitched seven innings and allowed no earned runs on five hits. Welch was pitching for the first time in a week after being hit on her pitching hand by a line drive.

“Rheagan did a really good job today and worked herself out of some tough jams. We had some people really step up today and we got outstanding pitching and timely hits,” said Kent.

The Lady Wolves travel to Summit on Wednesday, April 2 for a doubleheader at Southwest. First pitch is at 3 p.m.