By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
Aug. 26, 2001
Raleigh Odom's bases-loaded, two-out single drove in pinch runner Quatrecia McShane with the winning run as Northeast Lauderdale defeated Meridian 4-3 to win the 13-team Meridian Invitational Tournament Saturday at the Sammie Davidson Complex.
Northeast stunned top-ranked West Lauderdale 7-4 in one semifinal, while Meridian steamrolled East Central 10-0 in the other.
Northeast went 5-0 in the tournament to improve to 11-1.
Northeast took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning against Meridian. Lauren Webb singled and scored when Odom's hit to right center split two outfielders and rolled to the fence as she circled the bases.
Meridian got one run back in the top of the fourth. Laura Bowles opened the inning with a triple to center field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Stephanie Nelson.
Northeast took a 3-1 lead in the fifth as Amber Gray singled and scored on a single by Webb.
Meridian turned hits by Nelson and Ashley Brown, along with three Northeast errors into a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh.
A one-out walk to Gray, a single by Capri Norris, and a walk to Webb set the stage for Odom's game-winning hit.
Webb, Odom, Norris, and Jennifer Bristow each had two hits for Northeast. Blair Rawson was the winning pitcher.
Brown had two hits for Meridian, 7-3, who defeated Starkville (24-11) and Seminary (15-2), while losing to Neshoba Central (13-8) in pool play.
Prior to beating West Lauderdale in the semifinal, the Lady Trojans rallied for seven runs in the seventh inning to get past Lawrence County 10-9 in pool play.
Northeast scored three runs in both the second and third frames in beating West Lauderdale. Webb, Odom, and Bristow each went 2-for-3 for the Lady Trojans. One of Bristow's hits was a double.
In the tournament, Northeast also had wins over Poplarville (13-2) and Starkville (17-0).
The Lady Knights, 9-1, got 2-for-3 efforts from Courtney Godwin and Amy Frazier.
The Lady Knights defeated East Central (12-5), Petal (9-2), and Poplarville (12-9).
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com or call him at 693-1551 ext. 3234.