Clarkdale takes short road to third round

By By Michael Martin / special to The Star
Oct. 15, 2003
The Clarkdale High School softball team powered its way into the third round of the Division 2A playoffs snagging two run-ruled victories over the Wesson Lady Cobras.
The Lady Bulldogs dispatched of the Lady Cobras in five innings notching an 11-1 win in the first game of the best-of-three series Tuesday at home. Clarkdale picked up a 18-0 win in the second game, which ended after three innings of play.
In the opening contest of the night started out well for Wesson, as it scored a run in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly. The Lady Cobras finished the opening game with six hits against Lady Bulldogs pitcher Whitney Drachenberg, but the visiting team was unable to score again after the opening inning of the first game.
Clarkdale responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the first, and the home team grabbed the lead in the second inning scoring six runs on five hits and one error.
Eighth grader Ashley Bye led off the second inning smacking a solo home run over the right-field wall for a 2-1 lead.
Right fielder Kimbo Seale added two runs smashing a double, with the bases loaded, to bring home Lindsay Dawkins and Brandi Wright for a 4-1 advantage.
Clarkdale shortstop Megan Potate followed with a double with her own to bring home Casey Meador and Seale, and Savannah Satcher brought home the final run of the second with another double for a 7-1 lead.
The Lady Bulldogs notched three more runs in the third inning and one in the fourth to cause the run rule to go into affect for the game one victory.
Alyssa Bye, Ashley's older sister, produced the game-winning run in the fourth with her first of three homers for the night. Clarkdale tallied 13 hits in the opening game, with two home runs.
In game two, the Lady Bulldogs smacked 18 hits in the run-ruled shortened game, with four of the hits clearing the outfield fencing for home runs.
Two of Clarkdale's game two home runs came off the bat of Alyssa Bye, who also drove in two runs with a double in the second contest. She finished the two games going 5-for-6, with a single, a double and three home runs.
Drachenberg and left-center fielder Emily Howard also went long for the Lady Bulldogs in the second matchup.
As impressive as their offensive presence was in the second game, the defensive effort put forth by Clarkdale was also noteworthy. The Lady Bulldogs had zero errors in the second game, and they committed only one error in the first game
Drachenberg, who picked up the two wins on the mound for Clarkdale, surrendered only one hit in the three-inning second game.