By By Will Price/The Meridian Star
Sept. 26, 2001
BRANDON The Meridian High Lady Wildcats softball team clinched a playoff spot with a 6-5 victory over the Lady Bulldogs of Brandon on Tuesday.
The victory improves Meridian's record to 14-8 and to 2-1 in division play. Brandon falls to 12-6 and 0-3.
Ashley Brown nailed two doubles for the Lady Wildcats, while Erin Murphy, Andra Daniels and Valerie Sherman had a double apiece.
Multiple hitters included Murphy (3), Stephenie Nelson (2), Daniels (2), Brown (2), and Ebonee Ball (2).
Katie Joyner and Kala Griffith both went 4-for-4 for Brandon, with Griffith hitting a triple and home run. Melissa Wells also had a triple.
Laura Bowles was the winning pitcher, improving her record to 10-4.
Meridian had 16 hits and commited three errors. Brandon notched 13 hits and made two errors.
The Lady Bulldogs jumped out front with two runs, in the first inning.
Meridian's Murphy and Artesian Boyd, running for Sherman, scored to tie the game, at 2-2, in the top of the fifth.
Brandon went back up 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
The Lady Wildcats then sent eight batters to the plate in the sixth, and made it 5-3 when Daniels, Brown and Boyd all crossed the plate.
Daniels scored in the seventh to make it 6-3.
Brandon didn't quit. Griffith led off the seventh with a homer. After a single, Wells tripled in the Lady Bulldogs' fifth run. Meridian then held on and forced two infield pop-ups and a grounder back to the pitcher to end the game.
Meridian will travel to Monticello Thursday to take on non-division foe Lawrence County.