Ferriday girls win first game

Published 12:21 am Tuesday, July 8, 2008

OAK GROVE, La. — Alaina Burns scored what turned out to be the game-winning run in the top of the eighth inning as the Ferriday Dixie Girls Belles 13-15-year-olds All-Stars defeated the Swartz All-Stars 3-2 Monday afternoon at the district tournament.

Burns walked to lead off the top of the eighth and then stole second base. Taylor Morace was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Heidi Thornton sacrificed the runners over to second and third and Burns scored on the play at first.

But Swartz wouldn’t go down easily as it had runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the eighth before winning pitcher Ellen Bairnsfather struck out the next batter to end the game.

Email newsletter signup

“We batted seven left-handers. Three of them were switch-hitters and four were natural left-handers,” Ferriday Belles head coach Rut Horne said.

Among those switch-hitters who batted left-handed in the game was Bailey New, who had all three of her hits from that side of the plate. New was 3-for-3 and scored one run. Ginny Daggett also scored a run for the Belles. Bairnsfather had their only other hit.

On the mound, Bairnsfather held Swartz to just two hits in the game, both of them singles.

Next up for the Ferriday Belles is the winner of the Winnsboro-Rayville game today at 8 p.m.

The Ferriday Dixie Debs 16-18 All-Stars defeated the Jonesville All-Stars 15-5 Saturday night at the district tournament at Oak Grove. Ferriday had a bye on Monday and will take on West Carroll today at 6 p.m.

The Ferriday Ponytails 11-12-year-olds All-Stars had no problem in defeating Mangham 10-1 Monday afternoon at the district tournament, also at Oak Grove.

Taylor Perkins and Elizabeth Smith combined to pitch a no-hitter. Perkins, the winning pitcher, went four innings and Smith the final two innings. Shelby Wiggins led the Ponytails at the plate by going 2-for-3.

Ferriday will take on the loser of the Jonesville-Winnsboro game today at 6 p.m.