By Staff
Jamie Sullivan/The Meridian Star
Oct. 28, 2001
JACKSON The Northeast Lauderdale High School Lady Trojans lost only six games this season, but two of them came on Saturday as they fell to New Hope High School in the Class 4A Slow-Pitch Softball State Championship here at Legion Park.
New Hope won the first game of the two-out-of-three series 14-4, then clinched title in just two games with a 5-1 victory.
I think they just couldn't hang with the pressure.
Our defense has been almost perfect all year, and we just couldn't hold it together in the first game."
Northeast Lauderdale finished its 2001 campaign at 33-6, and second in the state. New Hope finished its season at 39-5, and the prized Class 4A State Title.
New Hope 14
Northeast 4
Northeast was considered the home team in the first game, which meant New Hope batted first. The Lady Trojans of New Hope got a lead-off single by Courtney Gordon, who then reached third base on a throwing error by the Northeast Lady Trojans.
New Hope added three more hits in the inning to go up 3-0.
Northeast saw Lauren Webb hit a ground ball through the infield for a single. The next batter, Grace Ann Watkins, added a single of her own, but the Lady Trojans of New Hope stepped up their defense to retire the next two batters.
New Hope came into the second inning with red-hot bats, and scoring on their minds.
The Lady Trojans of Northeast had had three errors in the inning to aid New Hope with its six-run inning. New Hope led the contest 9-0.
The Lady Trojans of New Hope added two more runs in the top of the third inning to extend their lead to 11-0. New Hope added another run in the top of the fifth inning, when Stephanie West crossed the plate to make the score 12-0.
Northeast scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth, as Blair Rawson, Bergin, Webb, and a pinch runner to keep the Lady Trojans from being a victim of the 10-run rule.
In the top of the sixth inning, Raleigh Odom gunned down a New Hope runner trying to score an inside-the-park homerun, however, that was not enough. The Lady Trojans of New Hope scored two runs to make the score 14-4.
The Lady Trojans of Northeast were unable to score in the bottom of the sixth, as they lost by the 10-run mercy rule. Rawson suffered the loss on the mound, while New Hope's Ginny Lowery enjoyed her win.
New Hope 5
Northeast 1
The Lady Trojans of Northeast had their season on the line, as they battled it out with the Lady Trojans again in game two.
The Lady Trojans of New Hope came out hitting the ball. In the bottom of the first inning, New Hope scored two runs in the inning, to jump out to an early 2-0 lead.
The Lady Trojans of New Hope added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Shelley Fraiser, Ashley Bush, and Gordon scored to add to the Lady Trojan lead.
Odom jumped on the first pitch from Lowery, as she blasted a shot to the outfield for a lead-off triple. Later in the inning, Jana Olczak scored Odom on a single to make the score 5-1.
The Lady Trojans were unable to score any more runs, as they watched their 2001 campaign come to an end.
You've got put up 15 runs in slow pitch to win games."
Jamie Sullivan is a sports writer for the Meridian Star. He can be reached by e-mail at jsullivan@themeridianstar.com, or by phone at 693-1551 ext. 3226.