West Lauderdale pounds out win

By By Robby Atkinson / staff writer
Sept. 16, 2003
The West Lauderdale Lady Knights were looking to get back on track against Meridian High School, and that was just what the team did. The Lady Knights took a convincing 18-6 win over Meridian High on the road at Northeast Complex on Monday night in local high softball action.
West Lauderdale head coach Jerry Boatner was very pleased with the way his team hit the ball, after a loss last week at home to Newton County.
West Lauderdale opened the first inning by snatching a quick run. Kirby Rutledge reached first base after a Meridian error and later crossed the plate on an RBI groundout by Kayla Eubanks for a 1-0 advantage.
After a quiet Meridian first inning, West Lauderdale pulled out to a 2-0 lead on an RBI single from Leah Hailey.
Meridian finally got its bats going in the bottom of the second, with a pair of hits.
Tiffany Hickman led off the inning with a single and crossed the plate moments later on a West Lauderdale throwing error. Lainie Simcox knocked in the second run on a single to knot the game at two.
West Lauderdale quickly retook the lead thanks to some great hitting at the top of the Lady Knights' lineup. Kristi Lintz reached on a fielder's choice, and Eubanks reached on an error.
Lintz scored on an RBI groundout by Katie Moulds to give the Lady Knights a 3-2 lead. Three more runs scored in the inning thanks to back-to-back singles from Holly Herrington and Sommer Jones to move the score to 6-2 in favor of the Lady Knights.
The Lady Wildcats tried to fight back in bottom of the third. Artesian Boyd led the inning off with a double and was followed by a single from J'Quandra Hickman to plate Boyd. Hickman scored later in the inning on a single to cut the lead to 6-4.
The Lady Knights plated four big runs in the fourth inning to take control of the game for good. The big blow of the frame came off the bat of Herrington, who provided an RBI single.
West Lauderdale put the icing of the cake in the fifth with five more runs to move the Lady Knights ahead 13-4. Rutledge plated a run on an RBI single, and Katie McAlister collected a single and an RBI in the fifth.
The Lady Knights wrapped up the offensive show with five more runs in the sixth to secure the win. McAlister got a triple and an RBI in the final inning to pace the West Lauderdale attack.
Both teams return to action at home today. West Lauderdale hosts district rival Choctaw Central, and Meridian will be hosting Hattiesburg in a big district game for the Lady Wildcats.
In the early junior varsity game West Lauderdale took a 13-4 win over Meridian.