Natchez continues an unfortunate streak
Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 14, 2000
The streak continues for Natchez High’s slow-pitch softball team, but it’s not the kind of the streak the Lady Bulldogs like to have.
For the 12th straight year, Natchez has made the playoffs. And for the 12th year in the row, it has failed to make it past the first round.
The Lady Bulldogs, the Division 6-5A champs, were swept 16-5 and 5-1 Saturday by the Biloxi Lady Indians, the Division 7-5A runners-up and a team that came into the Class 5A state playoffs with a record of 9-11.
&uot;We just didn’t play ball today,&uot; said Natchez head coach Sue Johnson. &uot;Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s time for me give it up and let someone else come in and give them a spark.&uot;
It was also the final series for Natchez seniors Deanna Butts, Kelly Fuller and Sherelle Fitzgerald.
In the first game, Biloxi jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks in part to six Natchez errors which allowed four runs to score.
The Lady Bulldogs scored two runs in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Dalisa Lewis and an RBI sacrifice fly from Chrystal Sylvester.
Biloxi ended any hopes of a Natchez rally with four runs in the third inning and added one run in the fourth and five in the sixth.
&uot;I’m proud of the way our young and inexperienced team hung in there,&uot; said Biloxi head coach Tommy Johnson.
Natchez committed four more errors in the sixth inning and a total of 13 in the game, the defense and allowed 14 hits.
Natchez scored twice in the fifth inning and once in the sixth, but didn’t score enough runs to get out of being 10-run ruled.
In the second game, Biloxi pitcher Cristia Gibson scattered 10 hits and allowed only one run in the first inning when Mable Green scored on a sacrifice fly by Lewis.
Natchez’s 1-0 lead held up until the third inning when Biloxi scored on two Natchez errors and Kendra Rollberg’s RBI sacrifice fly.
The Lady Indians won the second game despite being outhit 10-7.
Natchez finished the season with a 16-10 record.