West Lauderdale rallies to victory

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Sept. 21, 2003
West Lauderdale's Lady Knights capped a busy day of softball with a six-run rally in their final at-bat to knock off host Clarkdale 15-10 Saturday night.
Earlier in the day, the Lady Knights dropped an 8-6 decision to second-ranked Neshoba Central.
Both teams scored once in the first inning. West, 14-4, got an RBI double from Katie Moulds, while Clarkdale, 13-6, got an RBI double from Emily Howard.
West put up six runs in the top of the third to go up 7-1. Moulds had a grand slam to left-center in the inning with winning pitcher Sommer Jones (14-4) following with a solo blast, her third of the year, to center field.
Clarkdale retaliated with eight runs in the bottom of the third to take a 9-7 lead. Howard and Ashley Bye had RBI singles with losing pitcher Whitney Drachenberg getting a two-run double. West committed three errors in the frame.
The Lady Knights tallied twice in the top of the fourth to pull even. Both runs scored on a double by Kristi Lantz.
Clarkdale recaptured the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Howard doubled and scored on a two-out single by Bye.
Neither team threatened in the fifth and sixth frames and Clarkdale had a chance to nip West's final chance in the top of the seventh in the bud.
With two outs and a runner at first base, Katie McAlister's ground ball to third base was thrown late to second as both runners reached safely. Brook Bounds followed with a single to tie the game and Ashley Helms put West up 11-10 on a throwing error on the play.
Two more errors and singles by Josie Mathews and Lantz enabled the Lady Knights to grab a 15-10 advantage.
West then turned a double play to end the game.
Moulds had a single, a double, and a homer to drive in five runs for West. Lantz had a double and two singles. Kirby Rutledge had a single and a double, while Bounds and Morgan Gullette both had a pair of singles.
Howard had two doubles and a single to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Bye had two singles, while Drachenberg had a single and a double.
Neshoba Central 8
West Lauderdale 6
Two days after suffering their first loss of the season with a 10-4 setback at three-time defending Class 4A state champion New Hope, Neshoba Central struck for six runs in the top of the second inning to win at Collinsville.
West scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull to within 8-6. Neither team scored in its final two at-bats.
Kady Chandler had three singles for the Lady Rockets as they improved to 17-1. Sarah Williamson had a single and a triple. Samantha Giambrone had a single and a double. Allison McDaniel and Sondreia Hillie had a pair of singles.
Lindsey Smith (17-1) got the win.
Jones had a single and a homer for West, 13-4. Gullette had three singles. Kayla Eubanks had a single and a double with Lantz, Holly Herrington, and Bounds each getting two singles.
Jones (13-4) took the loss.