VHS secures title; Lady Wolves net another win

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 9, 2003

RAYVILLE, La. &045;&045; In the world that is a three-team district, the Vidalia Lady Vikings did what they had to do.

They pulled a couple sweeps, stayed focused through it all and are getting ready for the Class 2A playoffs in two weeks &045;&045; all according to schedule.

The Lady Vikings (19-5-1, 4-0) thumped Rayville 16-1 in five innings Tuesday to claim their third district championship in the past four seasons. The win puts them at home for the first round of the playoffs against a wild card when playoffs begin April 22.

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&uot;The seniors I have &045;&045; they’ve won three district titles,&uot; Vidalia head coach Gary Paul Parnham said. &uot;They won it their freshman year, their junior year and their senior year. If we can win one more game &045;&045; I hate to put the jinx on us &045;&045; these seniors will have won 20 or more games all four years. That’s quite an accomplishment.&uot;

Tuesday’s game against the Lady Hornets (2-17, 0-4) was similar to the 16-0 game the Lady Vikings won in Vidalia two weeks ago. Rayville pitchers combined to walk 19 batters and hit two more as the Lady Vikings had just seven hits.

Of the 16 runs, 12 were forced home on either a walk or a hit batter.

&uot;Her No. 1 pitcher tore her ACL,&uot; Parnham said of Rayville head coach Judy Edington. &uot;Her second pitcher has a bad shoulder, and I didn’t even see her at the game today. She pitched her third and fourth pitchers today. They’re in bad shape as far as injuries go. You kind of feel bad for them. They’ve struggled all year.&uot;

Heather Miller had the Lady Vikings’ only extra-base hit with a double. Jenny Watson threw all five innings and allowed no hits and one unearned run.

The Lady Vikings will play again Thursday at Monterey and will face Block in a doubleheader Tuesday in a makeup of Monday’s rainout.

Monterey 4, Forest 2

FOREST, La. &045;&045; In what may have been their toughest game yet in District 3-B action, the Lady Wolves had to rally from a 2-0 deficit to take the win and stay perfect in district.

The Lady Bulldogs had the lead early but couldn’t mount a threat off Monterey starter Whitney Price, who struck out five, walked five and scattered six hits.

Forest put runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Price got the next two batters retired on balls hit in the infield to give the Lady Wolves (12-11, 6-0) the win to clinch a playoff spot.

&uot;It was a good ball game,&uot; Monterey head coach Cary Shively said. &uot;Both teams did a good job, and it could have gone either way. We’ve got two district games left &045;&045; Forest again and Harrisonburg again, and both of those teams are good ball clubs.&uot;

The Lady Wolves answered with three runs in the second off Forest starter Christina Cavalier to take the lead. A bunt from Brittany Woodruff loaded the bases, but a Megan Campbell bunt forced out Hope Lipsey at home for the first out.

Leslee Woodruff dropped a bunt down to score Price, and Whitney Roark singled in Campbell and Woodruff for the 3-2 lead. But Forest’s rightfielder caught a short fly ball and nailed a runner trying to score on a sacrifice for a double play to end the inning.

&uot;Their pitcher was pretty good,&uot; Shively said. &uot;We laid down three bunts in a row. We loaded the bases on one of them, they threw one out on another one and we scored on another one. It (double play) is how it goes sometimes. They did a good job defensively to make a play on us.&uot;

The Lady Wolves added another in the seventh when Laura Reese singled, stole second, moved to third on a Cassie Kennedy single and scored on a passed ball.