By Staff
HE'S SAFE! Northeast's Corey Chance (6) makes it back safe past Southeast's Brandon Booker (4) in the Quitman tournament. Southeast Lauderdale won the game, 6-3. Photo by Carisa McCain/The Meridian Star
By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
March 12, 2002
QUITMAN In a off sort of pitching duel, Union's Jody Blount threw strikes but got little help with the bat or his defense. Quitman's Anthony McKenzie, meanwhile, fell behind several batters but managed to come out with combined shutout victory in the final game of Monday's opening round action of the Quitman High Spring Break Tournament.
McKenzie, along with reliever LaMarcus Anderson, teamed up for the three-hit, 7-0 shutout of the Yellow Jackets here at the Quitman Baseball Field.
Quitman improves to 11-3 with the win. Union, who suffered its second loss of the day following a 13-0 decision to Raymond, falls to 5-6.
In today's action, Southeast Lauderdale takes on Raymond at 1 p.m. in a battle of tournament unbeatens. At 3:30, Southeast meets Union. The 6 p.m. game has Quitman facing Northeast Lauderdale.
Quitman coach Brett Rigby credited his defense for giving McKenzie plenty of support in the shutout.
Quitman struck for two runs in its first at bat after McKenzie fanned three of the four batters faced in the Union first.
Blake Pippen reached on an error and then went to third on Anderson's hit to right. Pippen then scored on a wild pitch by Blount. Anderson came in on a ground out by Matthew Creighton.
In the fourth, Quitman broke the game open with four runs. An error, a hit by Creighton and a catcher's throw past first base on a dropped third strike chased home one run and put two others in scoring position.
Austin Edwards then drove in Creighton with a hit up the middle.
Adam Neal brought in Lorenzo White on a fly ball to right and Edwards later scored on a ground out by Dustin Hamrick to make it 6-0.
The Panthers got another run in the fifth when Anderson doubled and then scored on a double by Creighton.
Union stranded seven runners on base including three on third base. They had solid chances to score in the first, third and seventh inning but couldn't get the two-out hit.
Anderson and Creighton each had two hits to lead Quitman. Jordan Robinson had two hits for Union.
McKenzie went six innings striking out 10 and allowed four walks. Anderson retired three of the four men faced in the seventh.
In other tournament action, Southeast Lauderdale beat Northeast Lauderdale 6-3. Raymond then beat Northeast 6-1 to drop the Trojans to 0-2 in the tourney. Raymond then smacked Union 13-0.