GOREVILLE — It had been a long time since Goreville head softball coach Shanna Green and the Lady Blackcats had played a game.

“I couldn’t remember everything I needed to do because it felt like we’ve not been out here in like three years,” Green said.

It actually had been just shy of 700 days since the Lady Blackcats were last on the field. They won the 1A State Championship in East Peoria June 1, 2019. The pandemic wiped out the 2020 season and Goreville’s shot at a fourth straight title game appearance and third title in four years.

The 2021 Lady Blackcats feature plenty of youth. Half of the varsity roster is made up of freshmen. Those six freshmen and, after no season a year ago, the two sophomores were making their high school debuts Tuesday night.

Goreville opened against another team featuring a lot of youth, Pope County. 11 of the 16 Lady Pirates on the roster are freshmen or sophomores.

Freshman Abby Compton homered, drove in three runs and scored three runs, while sophomore Reese Ray struck out 14 and didn’t allow an earned run to lead Goreville to a 5-3 win.

Compton crushed a two-run homer in the bottom of the third to put the Lady Blackcats up 4-0, but the Lady Pirates came right back with three in the top of the fourth. Goreville tacked on an insurance run in the fifth when Compton scored on passed ball.

“The seniors especially, and the juniors too, you could tell that they were just thrilled to be able to play again,” Compton said. “I was so happy for them. I knew they were sad because they missed out on a lot.”

Pope County falls to 1-4 on the season.