Vidalia unable to get big hits in 8-5 loss
Published 12:01 am Tuesday, April 10, 2012
VIDALIA — A 4-2 fourth-inning lead was not enough for Vidalia in its game against Caldwell Parish Monday afternoon.
The Spartans went on a furious rally to defeat the Vikings 8-5 in an LSHAA District 3-3A game.
“They just started hitting the ball and in the fifth, sixth and seventh they mustered up some runs,” Vidalia head coach Kale Davis said. “That pretty much sealed the deal for us.”
Caldwell Parish and Vidalia scored one run in each of the first two innings. The Vikings scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to go up 4-2. But the Spartans responded with one run in the top of the fourth and another run in the top of the fifth to tie the game.
Vidalia retook the lead with one run in the bottom of the fifth. However, Caldwell Parish answered yet again with two runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead for good at 6-5.
Caldwell Parish added two more runs in the top of the seventh.
Vidalia’s inability to come up with the key hit would come back to haunt them, Davis said.
“To be honest, we hurt ourselves. We left 14 runners on base. We left the bases loaded twice and for three innings, we left two runners on,” Davis said. “We can hit the ball, but they’re scattered. We just can’t get that timely hit.”
Corey Williams was charged with the loss after Caldwell Parish took the lead in the sixth inning. Both Roper Craft and William Handjis led Vidalia’s offense by going 2-for-3.
Vidalia (11-10, 1-4) hosts Jena for a make-up game today with the junior varsity game at 4 p.m. and the varsity game at 6 p.m.
Terry 11, Natchez High 1
TERRY — Terry High School senior pitcher Westin Stringer was unhittable for four innings Monday against the visiting Natchez High School baseball team.
Stringer’s strong performance and an 11-run outburst for Terry were enough to top Natchez 11-1 in MHSAA Region 6-6A action.
Stringer pitched all five innings for Terry (16-4, 6-0), which has already won the region title. The only hit he gave up was a double by Jadarrius Williams that scored Asunta Green. That made it a 10-1 game, but Terry scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning that ended the game by way of the 10-run-after-five-inning mercy rule.
“Stringer was his usual self,” Natchez High head coach Skip Golding said. “We only had one error, but they had 11 hits.”
Terry scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning, two in the bottom of the third and four in the bottom of the fourth. Dominique Salter took the loss for Natchez High (4-8, 2-5), which plays at Brandon today with the junior varsity game at 4 p.m. and the varsity game at 6 p.m.
Day and time for Block’s varsity doubleheader at Northwood-Lena changed
LENA, La. — Two and a half weeks after its home game against LHSAA District 4-1A opponent Northwood-Lena was rained out, Block was scheduled to take on the Gators Monday afternoon in a varsity doubleheader on the road.
Instead, the two games involving the Bears and the Gators have been moved to today. They will still take place at Northwood-Lena. There has also been a change in the start time of the first game.
If the varsity doubleheader had taken place on Monday, the first game would have started at 3 p.m. Now the opening game will begin at 4 p.m. with the second game to take place at approximately 6 p.m.
Franklin Academy at WCCA cancelled
WOODVILLE — Monday afternoon’s non-district JV and varsity games between the Franklin Academy Cougars and the Wilkinson County Christian Academy Rams were cancelled due to a scheduling conflict involving Franklin Academy.
“They had two district games this week that they have to win to make the playoffs and they did not want to use up their pitching,” WCCA head coach Ray McDaniel said.
Those games will not be rescheduled. WCCA will next play at Tensas Academy in a varsity game today at 4 p.m.
Block softball sweeps doubleheader
LENA, La. — The Block Lady Bears took a varsity doubleheader sweep of LHSAA District 4-1A opponent Northwood-Lena Monday afternoon, winning Game 1 18-0 in five innings and then having to rally to take a 3-2 win in eight innings in Game 2.
In the first game, Kayla Smith held Northwood-Lena to just three hits, struck out eight and walked three in five solid innings to pick up the win.
Block took a 6-0 lead after four innings of play before exploding for 12 runs in the top of the fifth inning to go ahead 18-0 and the game was over by way of the 10-runs-after-five-inning rule.
Nikki Harbor hit two home runs and went 2-for-4 while Molly Swayze went 2-for-4 with a home run, Tee Harbor was 2-for-3 with a home run, and Kelly Mott was 3-for-4 with two doubles. As a team, Block had 16 hits in the game.
The second game was just the opposite of the first game. Block led 1-0 in the first inning before Northwood-Lena showed the resolve it didn’t have in the first game by scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning for a surprising 2-1 lead.
But once again Smith was up to the challenge. She pitched six straight scoreless innings to keep the Lady Bears in the game. Block finally tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning and won the game with one run in the top of the eighth.
Blake Colclasure went 2-for-4 with a home run and Swayze was 2-for-3 with a triple. For the game, Smith went the distance and allowed two runs (none earned) on six hits, struck out seven and walked two.
As a result of Block’s two wins, it ended up as co-champions of LHSAA District 4-1A with Montgomery. Next up for the Lady Bears (18-8, 6-2) is the Class 1A Playoffs.