Meridian High rolls to sweep over Natchez in first round

By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
October 13, 2004
Meridian High School outslugged and then outgloved the Natchez Lady Bulldogs to sweep its opening-round, best-of-three slow-pitch softball series on Tuesday.
The Lady Wildcats (18-9) pounded out a 19-1 victory in Game 1, and they pulled out a 6-3 win in Game 2.
Meridian High jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second game thanks to some aggressive base running.
The Lady Wildcats' Ebonee Ball motored home from second base on a flyout by Lainie Simcox in the first inning, and Sarah Beckman scored on another throw from the outfield into the field in the second inning.
Simcox and J'Quandra Hickman pushed their team's lead to 4-0 in the third inning with back-to-back RBI singles, but Natchez got back into the game and the series in the bottom of the fourth.
The Lady Bulldogs tallied three runs on four hits to cut the Lady Wildcats' lead to 4-3. Natchez's Vearlene Thompson brought home two runs with a triple, and Tracy Davis singled in Thompson in the next at bat.
Meridian High didn't let Natchez keep the score close long, scoring two runs in the top of the fifth. Carsheena Blanks brought home a run on a fielder's choice, and Sarah Beckman singled in a run for a three-run lead.
The Lady Wildcats allowed just one Lady Bulldog to reach base over the final three innings of the second game to clinch a spot in the second round.
Meridian High showed no signs of rust after an eight-day layoff between contests in the first game of the series.
The Lady Wildcats, who last played on Oct. 5, scored 10 runs on 10 hits in the first inning of the opening game of the series.
Simcox, Tiffany Hickman and Ball each drove in two runs for Meridian High; J'Quandra Hickman, Brandi Limerick and Blanks each notched one RBI; and J'Quandra Hickman scored on an errant throw in the first inning.
Meridian High notched three runs in the second inning. Courtny Trotter scored on an error. Tiffany Hickman drove in a run with a single, and Artesian Boyd notched an RBI double to take a 13-0 lead.
The Lady Wildcats tacked on four more runs to their lead in the third inning. Beckman hit an RBI double, Lindsay Lang drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Beckman and Ball hit a two-run double for a 17-0 lead.
Blanks hit and RBI double, and Limerick notched a pinch-hit, RBI single in the fifth to cap the scoring for the Lady Wildcats.
Natchez scored its lone run in the top of the fifth off a Meridian High error, as the game ended because of the 10-run rule.
In the series, Ball went 6-for-8 with two doubles and four RBIs, and Blanks went 5-for-8 with two doubles and four RBIs. Boyd, Simcox, Beckman and Tiffany Hickman each notched three hits, and Trotter tallied two hits.
Meridian High will face the winner of the series between Moss Point and Long Beach on Saturday. The Lady Wildcats will likely have to travel for the second-round, best-of-three series.