Mooreville has it all in title series sweep
By By Jeff Byrd / sports editor
May 4, 2003
MOOREVILLE Three elements are key to a team winning a championship in either fast-pitch softball or baseball. Call the formula "pdth." That's pitching, defense and timely hitting.
Clarkdale used that formula to win last year's State 1A-2A Championship in Jackson against Mooreville. On Saturday at Simmons Field, it was Mooreville's turn.
Of three elements, pitching is the most crucial. Mooreville had that covered in spades with eighth grader Elizabeth Woolven tossing a no-hit shutout to lead the Lady Troopers to their first-ever fast-pitch championship.
The 4-0 win wrapped up the best of the three championship series in two games for Mooreville who won 8-5 in Clarkdale on Thursday night. Clarkdale sees a one-year reign, which also included a slow-pitch title last October against these same Lady Troopers, end with a fine 21-9 record.
In Thursday's game one loss, Clarkdale was hurt badly by seven errors which led to six unearned runs. On Saturday, the defense was much improved but Mooreville still made the big hits including a key, two-run, inside the park home-run which proved to be the game's biggest play.
Woolven, who had bouts of wildness on Thursday with seven walks, was under control on her own mound. She limited Clarkdale to a pair of second inning walks. She then proceeded to retire the next 16 Lady Bulldogs in order to nail down her second win of the series.
Woolven helped her cause by reaching on a two-out hit in the Mooreville first. That brought up Hankins who took a 1-2 pitch and roped it down into the left-field corner.
The ball rolled all the way to the fence. Hankins circled around third and beat the throw home to complete the inside-the-park homer and give the Lady Troopers a 2-0 lead.
Lindsey Dawkins and Savannah Satcher both drew walks with two outs to give Clarkdale their only base-runners of the game in the top of the second. Woolven, though, got Casey Meador to ground to her at the mound to end the threat.
Mooreville added two more runs in the fourth. Candy Shumpert singled and then went to third on an error. A hit by Rachel Tally, who went 3-for-3 in the game, knocked in Shumpert to make it 3-0.
Beka Payne, who had reached on the error, later scored on a passed ball to up the lead to 4-0.
Woolven finished up fanning four of the last nine Clarkdale batters faced. She ended with seven strikeouts.
Emily Howard took the loss for Clarkdale. She struck out six and allowed eight hits.
Hankins led Mooreville, who ends with a 32-6 record, with two hits and two RBI.
