Hopper leads Lady Pack to season-opening win
Aug. 9—MOULTRIE — The rebuilding Colquitt County softball team got a strong offensive performance from one of its returning seniors in a 15-2, five-inning season-opening victory on Tuesday at Bainbridge.
Maris Hopper had a home run and two doubles to lead the Lady Packers' 10-hit effort. She also drove in four runs.
And Kamry Paulk got the job done in the circle, limiting the Lady Cats to just two hits and two unearned runs.
The sophomore right-hander struck out six and walked three.
"She struggled a little in the first inning and we made a couple errors behind her, but after that she was dialed in," Lady Packers coach Chance Pitts said. "She was throwing strikes."
With the score tied 2-2 after the first inning, the Lady Packers scored 13 times over the next four innings to get the run-rule victory.
Hopper's homer was the highlight of the second inning.
She is coming off a junior season in which she hit .476 and had eight doubles, but the home run was the first of her career and it earned a game ball from Pitts.
RaJayla McBride and Libby Wetherington, also veterans of the 2022 Lady Packers who went 25-5, each had two hits, including a double.
Senior Carli Pearson and freshman Lilah Thompson each contributed a double. Paulk had the Lady Packers' other hit.
Pearson and Wetherington each drove in a pair of runs.
"I was pleasantly surprised," Pitts said. "Bainbridge still has their good pitcher, but she struggled a little bit and we put it in play."
The Region 1-4A Lady Bearcats got singles from Brenna Nix and pitcher Brenna Conley. The two scored Bainbridge's only runs.
The Lady Packers, who are replacing six starters — Emily Allegood, Morgan Holder, Julia Duncan, Madison Plymel, Jacey Wetherington and Laura Hailey Bryan — from the teams that went 50-10 over the last two seasons, will play their home-opener at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9, against Cook.
The Region 1-2A Lady Hornets are 2-0 after defeating Clinch County 14-2 and Seminole County 9-0 on Saturday.
Cook is coming off a 17-11 record in 2022. The Lady Hornets were 21-5 in 2021.
Colquitt will play at Tift County at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
The Lady Blue Devils are coached by former Packer Taylor Barber.
