Senior Night Heartbreaker: Purcell Rally Falls Short vs. Perkins-Tryon, 5–4

PURCELL — On Senior Night, the Purcell Lady Dragons’ rally from an early 4–0 hole came up one swing short, falling 5–4 to the Perkins-Tryon Lady Demons in a crucial 4A-1 district matchup Monday night (Sept. 22, 2025).

Purcell answered the Demons’ four-run second with four of its own in the third to tie it, but Perkins-Tryon scratched the go-ahead run in the fourth on another Landry Shepherd double and protected the one-run margin the rest of the way.

Scoring plays

Top 2nd — Perkins-Tryon 4, Purcell 0: Jimi Kennedy tagged and scored on a deep fly to open the scoring; Landry Shepherd followed with a two-run double to the gap; Logan Gajewski added an RBI single. Bot 3rd — 4–4: Kamdyn Stokes plated a run with a lineout; Miaca Martinez roped an RBI double; Ava Sparks punched an RBI single; the tying run scored on a passed ball. Top 4th — Perkins-Tryon 5, Purcell 4: Shepherd lined another RBI double, restoring the Demons’ lead for good.

Purcell (4 R, 6 H)

Hits (6): Mackenzie McKay 1; K.K. Vazquez 1; Miaca Martinez 1 (2B); Kendra Anderson 1; Kami Rendon 1; Ava Sparks 1 (RBI). RBIs (3): Stokes 1, Martinez 1, Sparks 1. (One run scored on a passed ball.) Pitching: Ava Sparks (L) — 7.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 K, 3 BB.

Perkins-Tryon (5 R, 9 H)

Leaders: Landry Shepherd 3-for-4, two doubles, 3 RBI; Logan Gajewski RBI single; Kennedy sac fly/tag-up run. Pitching: Jentri Moody — 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 K, 2 BB; relief covered the final 2.0 scoreless frames to lock it down. Defense: Turned one double play to defuse a late Purcell threat.

Senior Night

Purcell recognized its seniors in a pregame ceremony and then nearly delivered a storybook comeback, erasing a four-run deficit in one inning and bringing the tying run to the plate multiple times down the stretch.

Up next

The Lady Dragons head to Perkins-Tryon for Game 2 on Tuesday to wrap up 4A-1 district play.