Kemper holds off Lamar
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
April 23, 2003
Kemper Academy jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, fended off a Lamar rally that saw the Lady Raiders close to within 10-7, and went on to claim a 15-10 slow-pitch softball victory Tuesday afternoon at Northeast Park.
Kemper improved to 18-5, and Lamar fell to 6-3.
The Lady Rams are battling with Central Academy for the lead in the Academy 3-A league.
The Class A North State and Class A State tournaments will both be at Central Academy at Macon in early May.
Kemper picked up seven runs in the first inning off five hits and three walks. Jessica Warren had a two-run single with Mindi Turnipseed adding an RBI single. Leslie Beach drew a bases loaded walk and Ashley George had a sacrifice fly.
Usual Lamar pitcher Cheryl Luquire is out for the year after recently undergoing knee surgery and throwing strikes was a problem for the Lady Raiders in the early going.
Megan Pennington plated Lamar's first run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning that scored Keri Mathis, who hit a leadoff double.
Kemper extended its lead to 10-1 in the top of the third. Elyse Russell hit a two-run single and Libby Myers scored on Eve Darnell's fielder's choice.
The Lady Raiders picked up two runs in the third as Chelsey Harper scored on an error and Baleigh Barham came home on Lizzie Williams' fielder's choice.
Lamar battled back to within 10-7 in the bottom of the fifth and left runners at second and third. Williams had a two-run single in the rally, while Mathis singled home another run.
Kemper tallied once in the sixth as Darnell reached on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Beach.
The Lady Rams added four insurance runs in the top of the seventh to grab a 15-7 advantage. Kayla Mosley had a two-run single and Jodi Darnell had an RBI single. Russell drove in the other run with a fielder's choice.
Lamar added three runs in the bottom of the seventh as Mathis had a sacrifice fly, and S.M. Mitchell had an RBI single.
Mosley went 4-for-5 to lead Kemper. Warren, Turnipseed, and Kasey Barnes each had two hits for the Lady Rams.
Barham had three hits to lead Lamar. Mitchell, Celia Covington, Williams, and Mathis each had two hits.
