MONROE, La. — For the first time this season, the Adams County Christian School Lady Rebels won a game at a double-elimination fast-pitch tournament. Unfortunately, their stay did not last much longer.

In one of the 9 a.m. games on Saturday at the River Oaks Back to School Softball Bash 2011, ACCS held on for a 6-5 win over the Claiborne Academy Lady Rebels.

ACCS led 4-1 after one inning of play, but four errors helped Claiborne Academy rally to tie the game at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the third inning. But ACCS, the home team in this game, would not let be denied as Ashton Mason doubled with no outs to bring in Blair Vanderslice with the game-winning run. Vanderslice got on with a leadoff single.

In the two other tournaments the ACCS Lady Rebels participated in – the Centreville Tournament in late July and the Amite School Center Tournament two weeks ago – they were two and done.

“Overall we played well. We play in tournaments to get innings under (our) belt. You know — game experience,” ACCS head coach Forrest Foster said. “It helps our pitching.”

Brooke Runnels was the winning pitcher as she allowed just two hits while striking out one and walking just three batters over three innings. K. Patrick suffered the loss as she allowed five hits, struck out four and walked three.

Sage Atkins led ACCS at the plate by going 2-for-2 with a double. M. Butler had a double for Claiborne Academy.

ACCS had a chance to advance in the winners’ bracket, but the Riverdale Academy Lady Rebels rallied for an 8-6 win in a game that went extra innings after the one hour and 10 minute time limit had passed. But in this case, extra innings was five innings.

The home team for the second straight game, ACCS trailed Riverdale 3-0 after two and a half innings before taking the lead thanks to a four-run rally in the bottom of the third inning.

But Riverdale responded with two runs in the top of the fourth inning for a 5-4 lead. However, ACCS took the game into extra innings with one run in the bottom of the fourth.

Riverdale scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning and then winning pitcher Morgan Barrett held ACCS to just one run in the bottom of the fifth to preserve the win. Barrett allowed six runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings.

Runnels was charged with the loss after giving up eight runs on seven hits. She struck out four, but she also walked seven batters. Braxtyn Elveston had a double for ACCS.

Riverdale was led by Libby Warren and Kensey Wiggins. Warren went 2-for-3 with a triple and Wiggins was 2-for-2.

“We let Brooke pitch all day. She had 11 innings of work today. That’s good for a young pitcher to get that work,’ Foster said.

Then ACCS had the not-so-good fortune of playing a Bayou Academy that surprisingly fell to the losers’ bracket early in the tournament.

The five-time defending MAIS Class A state champion and top-ranked Lady Colts had a big lead over the Lady Rebels when the game was called after one of ACCS’s players starting overheating and they were down to just nine players, Foster said.

“They were leading 13-1 in the third inning when the game was called. It was an unofficial game. But I still call it a loss because it was a forfeit,” Foster said.

ACCS (6-11) hosts River Oaks Monday with the varsity game at 6 p.m.

Franklin County goes 3-0 at West Lincoln Tournament

BROOKHAVEN — It’s one thing to go undefeated in a slow-pitch softball tournament. It’s another when one of those wins is against a defending state champion and another is over a top-10 ranked team.

Well, that’s what Franklin County, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, was able to accomplish Saturday at the West Lincoln Tournament as the Lady Bulldogs went on to win all three of the games.

First, the Lady Bulldogs stunned defending Class 1A state champion Bogue Chitto, which is currently the top-ranked team in that classification, 15-9. It was also the first loss of the season for the Lady Bobcats.

Winning pitcher Mildred Starks helped her own cause by belting two triples and going 2-for-4. Courtney Hauer also had a triple and went 2-for-2 while KeKe Collins was 3-for-3.

Franklin County took a 6-1 lead into the third inning before Bogue Chitto rallied for six runs in the top of the third to take a 7-6 lead. But that didn’t last very long as the Lady Bulldogs responded with a seven-run rally in the bottom of the third for a 13-7 lead.

“It’s good to beat a team that’s won four state titles in Bogue Chitto,” Franklin County head coach Dana Smith said.

Bogue Chitto was led by Adrianne Wallace, who went 3-for-3 and finished a single away from hitting for the cycle.

Franklin County had an easier time in its second game as it took care of South Pike 26-3 in just three innings. The Lady Bulldogs pounded out 31 hits in the game and were led by Starks, who went 3-for-4 with a double and two home runs. Kiarra Sykes hit three doubles and went 3-for-3. Hauer, Nicole White and Sierra Betheley each went 3-for-3 with a double.

In their final game of the day, the Lady Bulldogs rallied from an early deficit to defeat the McComb Lady Tigers 16-6. McComb is ranked No. 8 in Class 5A – something Smith didn’t know until after the game.

“They’re both good ball clubs,” Smith said about Bogue Chitto and McComb. We hit the ball well. That was the difference in all the ball games.”

Franklin County had 24 hits in the game and was led by Destiny Denham, who went 4-for-4 with a double. Collins went 3-for-4 with two doubles and Starks went 3-for-3 with a double.

The Lady Bulldogs won the game even though the Lady Tigers had 17 hits off Starks and the defense behind her committed five errors.

“McComb’s got a good ball team. They’ve got a lot of speed. We just made the plays when it counted when they were in scoring position,” Smith said.

Franklin County (7-2) hosts Bogue Chitto on Monday with the junior varsity game at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity game at 7 p.m.