From Tim Gayle
Sports Writer – Special to the EAN
TOP PHOTO – PCA’s Alicia Messick pitched a complete game, striking out nine in six innings of work.
PRATTVILLE — It seems as if most of Prattville Christian Academy’s games are either rained out or shutout losses to 6A teams.
Playing their 3A Area 6 opener at home against Catholic was exactly what they needed.
PCA senior Chloe Hinely broke open a tight game with a three-run home run in the third inning and the Panthers pulled away late to defeat the Knights 11-1 in a game halted by the 10-run mercy rule in the sixth inning.
“I kind of felt like we were a little behind, like two weeks behind everybody,” PCA coach Randy Stough said. “This last week was the first time I’ve had my three basketball players full time. We’re slowly getting better and getting everybody playing together. I can see us heading in the right direction.”
The game was the first of two area games this week as the Panthers (6-5) travel to Trinity on Thursday for a 4 p.m. game.
“It helps set the tone a little bit as far as our expectations of winning the area,” Stough said. “We took the first step in helping to make that a reality. We want to continue to improve. We’ve got Trinity on Thursday and you don’t know until you face them how things are going to be. I’ve seen Catholic play enough that they scared me.”
And there was plenty to be worried about early as a team that has struggled at times offensively saw the visitors grab a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Auburn Wilcoxson drove in her sister Rylee.
PCA rallied with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, then took a 6-1 lead with the help of Hinely’s bat in the third inning.
Catholic coach Whitney Toole said her team competed early “until about the third inning and then we let inexperience get the best of us. Once we got our heads down, we didn’t get it back up. We pitched well, we just couldn’t back it up in the field.”
The Knights were playing without starting first baseman C.C. Crawford and starting shortstop Jennifer Looney and moving young inexperienced players to different infield positions certainly didn’t help, but Toole was quick to praise her opponent as the Knights fell to 1-1 in area play.
“In the grand scheme of things, we’ve got to get ourselves together before we start worrying about who we’re going to play,” she said.
Catholic was led by Auburn Wilcoxson, who went 2 for 4. PCA ace Alivia Messick pitched a complete game, striking out nine in six innings of work.
“Alivia did a great job,” Stough said. “She got in a couple of jams early. After that, she settled down and pitched very well for us. We played good defense behind her and pieced a few hits together at the right time.”
Prattville Christian ended the game with three runs in the sixth inning off reliever Hannah Smith. Jersee Carter went 3 for 5 to lead the Panther offense, but Erin Williams, Saniyah Weaver, Sarah Williams and Payson Hanson each had a pair of hits.
Catholic (11-8) travels to Millbrook on Thursday to play Stanhope Elmore High.
