Bulldogs fall in softball playoffs

By Patrick Jones | The Natchez Democrat

Published Monday, October 12, 2009

MEADVILLE — Franklin County’s slow-pitch softball team saw its season come to an end Saturday afternoon after being swept by Clarksdale in a best-of-three MHSAA Class 3A second round playoff series.

The Clarksdale Lady Bulldogs, last year’s Class 2A state champions and the Region 5-3A champs, defeated the Region 7-3A runner-up Franklin County Lady Bulldogs 2-1 in Game 1 and then Clarksdale easily defeated Franklin County 10-1 in Game 2.

In the first game, Clarksdale led 2-0 after four innings before Franklin County got back in the game in the bottom of the sixth.

Kenyatta Hunt led off with a double and moved to third on a single by Kacey Smith. Then things got interesting. KeKe Collins hit a fly ball to the outfield, but Hunt tagged and left third base before the catch was made. The umpire called Hunt out and the score remained 2-0.

It took a few more singles before Smith finally scored to make the score 2-1, but that winning pitcher Cory Roberson got out of that jam and pitched a scoreless seventh inning to preserve the win.

“We had a running error on third that would have tied the ball game up in the sixth,” Franklin County head coach Dana Smith said. “Kenyatta would have been the first run and Kacey would have been the tying run.”

Clarkdale had 13 hits in the game off losing pitcher Mildred Starks. Kennedy Castleberry, Lindsey Beard and Amber Spann each went 2-for-3 with a double. Franklin County had nine hits, including two each by Allison Hauer and Desiree Buie.

“It was a good game. It went back and forth. It just came down to errors,” coach Smith said.

The second game was not even close. Frankin County jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Smith, Collins and Hauer each singled to load the bases and LayLay Griffin hit a sacrifice fly off Cory Roberson to bring in Smith.

The rest of the game belonged to Clarkdale as they Lady Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, one in the bottom of the second and six in the bottom of the fourth.

For the second straight game, Clarkdale (24-3) had 13 hits. Sarah Harris went 3-for-4 with a triple and Abby Roberson was 3-for-4 with a double. Smith and Collins each went 2-for-3 for Franklin County (18-9-1).

Clarkdale will take on the winner of the West Marion-Philadelphia series Tuesday with the South State championship on the line.