By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
May 5, 2002
JACKSON – Remount. Reload. And try again today.
Those were the options the eight remaining teams in the Mississippi High School Activities Association's state fast-pitch softball playoffs had after Saturday's best-of-three series were postponed due to wet grounds at the V.A. Fields.
The series were rescheduled for today at 1 p.m., making them rare Sunday sports events played by MHSAA members.
In Class 1A/2A, Clarkdale, 29-9-1, will face Mooreville, 31-10.
In Class 3A, Newton County, 34-5, takes on Amory, 28-3.
In Class 4A, Terry, 28-12, plays East Central, 29-6-2. And in Class 5A, Harrison Central, 33-6, squares off with Southaven, 29-4.
Harrison Central and Southaven was the only series that actually got under way Saturday before a downpour shortly after 11 a.m. made the fields unplayable. The teams returned to the V.A. Fields in mid-afternoon only to have the games postponed at 3 p.m. until today.
That meant another night's expense in Jackson area motels for five of the teams.
Newton County was able to drive back home too.
While Clarkdale and Newton County, along with Terry, were able to return home Saturday night, the same couldn't be said for Mooreville, Amory, Southaven, Harrison Central, and East Central due to the length of their travel. Mooreville coach Perry Wilburn lamented another $1,000 out of his small school's budget to keep his team in Jackson and feed it at least twice more before today's games with there being no certainty of not getting even more rain.
Officials said they would not take up money at the gate today. However, fans wanting a refund from Saturday because they couldn't come back today were unable to get it from the MHSAA.