SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Area teams rip through opening-round series

By Staff
compiled by Marty Stamper
Oct. 8, 2004
Area softball teams had a field day in the opening round of the MHSAA state slow-pitch softball tournament on Thursday. Most of the wins came by the 10-run-rule.
Northeast Lauderdale, Neshoba Central, Union, Philadelphia, Newton County, Choctaw Central and Enterprise all kept their seasons alive. Newton saw its season end at St. Andrew's.
Second-round play begins on Tuesday.
NE Lauderdale 15-18
Indianola Gentry 1-7
The Lady Trojans didn't mind an early wakeup call as they swept Gentry in Class 4A at Indianola.
Northeast took the noon opener 15-1. Savannah Hall went 4-for-4 with a double. Meagan Winborn went 3-for-4 with two homers a solo shot and a two-run rip. Jessica Love was 2-for-5 with a triple. Shelley Odom was 2-for-5 with a solo homer. Jenny Simpson was 2-for-4 with a double. Leanne Young also went 2-for-4.
In the second game, Kara Hull went 3-for-4 with a double and a two-run homer to pace Northeast. Odom was 3-for-4 with a triple. Simpson went 3-for-4 with a double. Hall was 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Winborn was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. Logan Olczak had a double.
The 16-15 Lady Trojans will face Amory on Tuesday in second-round action. Amory (21-6) swept New Albany 11-3 and 18-6 in first-round play.
Neshoba Central 10-14
Greenwood 0-0
The 12th-ranked Lady Rockets improved to 21-6 with a Class 4A sweep at Philadelphia. In the two games, Neshoba outhit Greenwood 29-4.
In the opener, the Lady Rockets scored four runs in the first inning, then put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Hettie Brewer had two doubles for Neshoba, while Kady Chandler, Samantha Giambrone and Rebecca Watkins each had a pair of singles. Whitnee White had a two-run triple. Watkins (20-4) got the win.
The Lady Rockets needed only four innings to take the second game. Neshoba scored five runs in the top of the first and added four more runs in the second to go up 9-0.
Giambrone had two triples and a single, while Sondria Hillie had a single and a triple. Chandler, White, Jessi Nowell and Leigh Ann Taylor each had a pair of singles.
Watkins (21-4) got the win as the Lady Rockets improved to 21-6.
Neshoba will face Houston on Tuesday in second-round action. Houston swept Itawamba AHS 10-0 and 13-3 to improve to 25-7.
Union 7-7
Ray Brooks 0-0
Fifteenth-ranked Union got a pair of forfeit wins over Ray Brooks, which didn't show up for the second straight year. The Lady Jackets improved to 22-6.
Union will go to Mize in the second round of the Class 1A playoffs on Tuesday. Mize defeated Enterprise-Lincoln in the first round.
St. Andrew's 7-15
Newton 6-3
The Lady Tigers saw their season end with a sweep at Ridgeland.
In the opener, the Lady Tigers rallied from a 6-1 deficit only to lose by a run. Down 6-2, Newton drew even with four runs in the top of the seventh. Kim Carraway had a two-run triple in the rally.
St. Andrew's scored once in the bottom of the seventh for the win. Newton outhit St. Andrew's 10-7.
Eleventh-ranked St. Andrew's completed the sweep in the nightcap to improve to 28-2. A 10-run fourth frame put the Lady Saints up 11-1. Mave Wilson snapped a 1-1 tie with a leadoff homer in the top of the fourth and added a grand slam before the inning was over.
Newton scored twice in the bottom of the fifth only to have St. Andrew's tally four times in the top of the seventh. Newton finished 5-16.
Philadelphia 15-12
McLaurin 2-0
Philadelphia swept McLaurin in Class 2A at Philadelphia.
In the opener, the Lady Tornadoes outhit McLaurin 15-3. Philadelphia scored seven runs in both the first and second innings to take control early.
Ally Parsons went 3-for-3 with a double for Philadelphia. Tiara Logan, Shenese Hunter, and Jillian Sparnecht each had a single and a double. Winning pitcher Shelby Smith (15-7) had two singles, while Shenique Brass had a triple.
In the second game, Philadelphia finished off a 6-0 game with six more runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Lady Tornadoes outhit McLaurin 13-5.
Brittany Hodges had three hits including a double. Candace Griffin had a single and a double. Shikira Moore had two singles. Sparnecht had a homer, Hunter a triple, and Logan a double.
Smith (16-7) got the win as Philadelphia improved to 16-7. McLaurin finished 6-12.
Philadelphia will face the Seminary-North Forrest winner in second-round action on Tuesday.
Newton County 14-10
Collins 2-0
The Lady Cougars swept Collins on the road in Class 3A to improve to 18-11.
No additional information was reported by press deadline.
Newton County will face the Poplarville-Wilkinson County winner in second-round action on Tuesday.
Choctaw Central 14-14
Richland 2-12
The Lady Warriors swept Richland in Class 3A to improve to 8-11.
No additional information was reported by press deadline.
The Lady Warriors will face the Greene County-Port Gibson in second-round action on Tuesday.
Enterprise 8-7
Wesson 3-0
Enterprise swept Wesson in Class 2A action in Copiah County.
No additional information was reported by press deadline.
Enterprise will face the Gulfport St. John-Bay Springs winner in second-round action on Tuesday.