Pauls Valley inched one step closer to a school record on the diamond Monday after an 8-2 win over the Sulphur Lady Bulldogs.
The Lady Panthers are now 25-12 and need just one more victory to tie the school record. They will get that chance this afternoon. Rain is lingering in the forecast, forcing officials to move up regional play. Pauls Valley will play Bethany at noon in Tuttle before facing the host school at 2 p.m.
Pauls Valley pitcher Raegan Close reached a major milestone in Monday's win. She struck out the first batter she faced in relief, recording her 100th strikeout of the season. Close pitched four innings of relief to earn the milestone, retiring 10 straight Sulphur batters—seven by strikeout—to close out the game.
Lily Rowland picked up the win, striking out two and giving up two earned runs on three hits over three innings. Overall, the PV pitching staff limited Sulphur to just four hits.
Offensively, Avri Crouch paced the six-hit attack, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Jessie Caldwell was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Mallory Carter added a hit, a run, and an RBI. Kaisyn White contributed a hit and crossed the plate three times.
For Sulphur, Zoli May, Destrie Muck, Hensley Rochelle, and Kabree Little each recorded a hit.
Sulphur jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, but Pauls Valley exploded for five runs in the bottom half of the frame and never looked back. Crouch's two-RBI single that drove in White and Caldwell highlighted the rally.
PV tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third, fueled by RBIs from Crouch and Paisley Tibbs. Sulphur cut into the lead in the top of the fourth when Braylee Lewis scored on an RBI single by Little.
The Lady Panthers added a two-out insurance run in the fifth when White—who reached on a walk and advanced around the bases—scored on a wild pitch, clearing the way for Close to shut the door in relief.
