VALDOSTA — Lowndes’ softball team won its home opener on Monday, defeating Cook 5-3 at the Morris-Coats Field of Dreams.

The Vikettes improved to 8-2 with the win. It was their first home game of the season, and their first game since Aug. 28.

“It feels like we haven’t played in forever,” Lowndes head coach Stewart Thomas said. “We had a rainout last week (against Cook). With the (region) doubleheaders, it just kind of gets spread out a little bit.”

Lowndes’ coach said playing Cook was a good challenge for his team.

“Cook’s always got a good team,” Thomas said. “Scott Ray’s a good coach. They always do the little things right. They’re going to get bunts down, they’re going to make the play. It took a little while to make some adjustments to their pitcher. We had a couple of girls that made the adjustments and made the big hits when we needed them.”

Cook broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the top of the third. With one out, Kalee Williams singled to center and Lexi Pike beat out a bunt. Williams and Pike executed a double steal, putting runners on second and third. Lowndes third baseman Heather Robinson fielded a ground ball and threw it home in time for catcher Becca Priarie to tag out Williams at the plate. Then Kelly Cornelius hit a pop up behind first base. Lowndes second baseman Meredith McLendon dove and nearly made a spectacular catch, but the ball hit off her glove and bounced away, and Pike and Hayley Dobson, who were running on contact, both came home to score, giving the Lady Hornets a 2-0 lead.

Cook’s lead wouldn’t last long, because Lowndes answered with four runs in the bottom of the third. With one out, McLendon and Wendy Palmer beat out bunts. Tiffany Bishop singled to right, and McLendon scored from second. Cara Parker lined a single past a diving third baseman and into right field, driving in Palmer to tie the score. Then Robinson hit a pop fly into shallow left field that fell just out of the reach of the charging left fielder, and courtesy runner LaGhia Woods ran home to give the Vikettes the lead. Chelsea Mefford laid down a sacrifice bunt and was retired at first, but the first baseman’s throw to third got away from the third baseman. Parker took off for home and beat the throw, giving Lowndes a 4-2 lead.

The score remained 4-2 until the top of the sixth. Cornelius reached on an error with one out. Two batters later, Kylee Sumner hit a line drive off McLendon’s glove. The ball went into center field, and Cornelius scored to cut the Vikettes’ lead to 4-3. Then Jade Bloser singled to left, putting runners on the corners with two outs. But with the tying run on third, relief pitcher Victoria Barber got Shelbie Rowe to ground out to third to end the threat.

Lowndes added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.  Priarie led off with a single, took second on Madison Floyd’s ground out and went to third on Kendall Holland’s single to right. McLendon popped up to second, and after catching the ball, the second baseman tried to throw to first to double off Holland. But instead the ball went into the Cook dugout, and Priarie came home to give Lowndes a 5-3 lead.

Cook threatened again in the top of the seventh. Carlyn Steele led off with a walk and went to third on Dobson’s two-out single to right. Dobson, the potential tying run, took second when Lowndes threw home. But Barber got the next batter to fly out to center to end the game.

Parker went 2 for 3 for Lowndes, with a triple, a run and an RBI. Palmer also went 2 for 3 and scored a run. Holland had two hits.

Bishop pitched the first three innings for Lowndes, allowing two runs and four hits and striking out three. Barber threw the final four innings, and gave up one run and three hits.

Courtney Taylor pitched a complete game for Cook. She allowed five runs, three earned, and 10 hits, and struck out three. No Lady Hornet had more than one hit.

Lowndes will travel to Coffee today for a Region 1-6A doubleheader, beginning at 4 p.m. Cook will travel to Thomasville for a 5:30 p.m. game.