LUCEDALE – A rain-soaked field did not stop the BHS softball team from playing this past weekend.

Originally, Brookhaven was scheduled to play in Hattiesburg on Saturday, but the tournament was canceled late Friday afternoon. Not wanting to miss on an opportunity to play ball, Head Coach Mandy Vinson started making phone calls and found an opponent and a place to play.

Therefore, the Lady Panthers loaded the bus for Lucedale at 6:45 a.m. Saturday morning headed out of town to play a double-header against the George County Lady Rebels.

Although the outcome of the first game was not what BHS would have wanted, the second game gave the team the chance to earn redemption. Especially since it included overtime.

George County 5, Brookhaven 3 

In the first game, the Lady Panthers took the field first with the Lady Rebels taking the offense. George County would have two runs off one hit at the end of the first inning. They scored again in the fifth and sixth innings for a total of five runs for the game.

The Lady Panthers were basically three up three down, except for a walk by Katherine Shell in the first inning – that is until the sixth inning when BHS offered up three singles and produced one run. In the seventh inning, the girls continued to fight back and offered up three more singles and a double, but only managed to produce two more runs for a total of three runs for the game.

“Errors hurt us during the first game,” said Vinson. “We have to start hitting earlier in the game. I think the way the girls played in the first game motivated them to play better in the second game.”

BHS had seven hits, three runs and four errors. George County had seven hits, five runs and zero errors.

Rileigh Allen pitched the game and had three walks and no strikeouts. The George County pitcher had one walk and no strikeouts.

Providing a double in the first game was Jada Henderson. Hitting safely were Katherine Shell, Fallon Brook, Haley Speaks, Kat Wallace and Rileigh Allen. Shell also got on base with a walk. Providing RBIs were: Tia Bussey, Brooks and Speaks.

Brookhaven 10, George County 8 

After a brief break between games, the George County players took the field for the Lady Panthers to have first bat.

In the first inning, the BHS team was unable to score on their two hits. The second inning was three up three down; the third inning the team saw one double and four singles to score three runs. The fourth inning, the team had three singles that produced two runs; the fifth inning, a double, a single and a walk produced no runs, while in the six inning four hits and a walk brought the team three more runs for a total of 8 runs. The seventh inning the Lady Panthers only got one single with no additional score.

The Lady Rebels produce four hits and four runs in the first inning to take the lead in the game. But, the Lady Panthers answered the call and fought back allowing only a few hits here and there and one additional run in the fourth inning. Brookhaven was able to hold them at bay until the seventh inning, when George County tied the game 8-8 and forced an inning of overtime.

In the over-time action, the Lady Panthers still had first bat and offered up two hits for two runs, while George County suffered two errors in that last at bat for Brookhaven.

Brookhaven was ready on the field when George County came up for their overtime bat. The BHS team held them to three up, three down to finish the game and take the win 10-8.

“The girls stepped up and played more aggressively and were much more intense the second game. They never gave up and kept battling back,” said Vinson. “George County has a really good team this year and I’m glad our girls showed some grit after the first loss to win the second game.”

During the second game, BHS Lady Panthers had 19 hits, 10 runs and four errors. George County had nine hits, eight runs and two errors.

Rileigh Allen pitched the game and had five walks and no strikeouts. Cheyenne Motley came in for the eighth inning to give Allen some relief. Motley had no walks and no runs. The George County pitcher had two walks and one foul out.

Leading the team with a double and two singles were Jada Henderson and Tia Bussey. Both Henderson and Bussey also got safely on base with walks, too.

Hitting safely were: Katherine Shell, three singles; Madison Thompson, three singles, Kat Wallace, two singles, Rileigh Allen, two singles, Fallon Brooks, one single, and Haley Speaks, one single.

Providing RBIs were: Henderson (four), Shell (two, including a sacrifice fly), Thompson, Bussey, Wallace and Brooks.

The Lady Panthers, (4-1) will be in action tonight as they host their first home game. The Lady Panthers will take on the Bogue Chitto Lady Bobcats at the BHS field, located behind the Mammie Martin Elementary School. Junior varsity action will begin at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity game at 6:15.