In last year’s meeting at Bazinsky Park between Vicksburg and Pearl on the softball diamond, the Missy Gators dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker in the final innings.

This year, propelled by a two-run triple by Lea Davies, the Missy Gators put the heartache in the other dugout as they took a 2-1 victory on Thursday.

Vickburg improved to only 5-4 overall, but now is in the driver’s seat in 3-4A with a perfect 3-0 mark.

“It was huge,” VHS coach Amanda Yocum said. “A lot of times, we tend to fold when we get runners on in a tight situation like that. We didn’t. We stayed and endured through the miscommunication we had at third and we made something happen.”

Through the first three innings, neither team could land any punches on the scoreboard, as pitchers Kristi Shelby and Ashley Wilson controlled the action from the circle.

In the fourth, Claiborne Bryant swung at a called strike three, but Pearl’s catcher mishandled the ball, allowing Bryant to reach first. Julianna Jones poked a single through the gap and both got into scoring position off steals.

Then Davies delivered, blooping a roller down the first base line to plate Bryant and Jones. Davies was able to make it to third, but the Missy Gators were unable to get her across.

“We told her if she can just make solid contact, it’s going to go so quick that they’re not going to be able to touch it,” Yocum said. “That’s a big confidence booster for her. We couldn’t be more proud of her.”

In the sixth, the Lady Pirates (3-2, 1-1) finally threatened as a pair of costly errors put only the second and third baserunners of the contest on board. Whitnee Jenkins scored from third on an error, but the Missy Gators got a controversial double play to keep the lead at 2-1.

Shelby finished off the side in order in the seventh, as she induced a pair of easy groundouts and struck out the other to preserve the no-hit win with three strikeouts.

*

Contact Steve Wilson at swilson@vicksburgpost.com