By By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
Sept. 6, 2002
The shortest road trip of the year turned out to be the best of times for the Meridian High Lady Wildcat softball team.
Meridian broke through and beat one of the area and state's top teams on Thursday night. Senior Erin Murphy's eighth-inning single with one out was the difference in the 2-1 Meridian win over fifth-ranked Northeast Lauderdale here at the Northeast Complex.
For Northeast, it was the first loss in 10 games. Meridian, meanwhile, improves to 7-3 and in the process went one up on its field neighbors. The two teams' home fields are a mere crosspath away.
Meridian head coach Thad George was ecstatic about the win.
Harper said his team's hitting went south. Northeast had 12 fly ball outs and six line outs, accounting for 18 of its 24 outs.
The Lady Trojans had chances to break the 1-1 tie in the fifth, sixth and seventh. In both the fifth and seventh, Northeast's leadoff batter in Grace Ann Watkins came to bat with runners in scoring position and two out.
On both occasions, she hit into fly outs to right-center. The seventh inning at bat, appeared to be diving in for a hit, but Meridian outfielder Carshenna Blanks made the catch, sending the game to extra innings.
In the Meridian eighth, Artesian Boyd led off with a single up the middle. With one out, Hallie Pearson got a ground ball past the diving Northeast second basemen. The hit sent Boyd to third and brought Murphy up.
In three earlier at bats against Northeast pitcher Blair Rawson, Murphy flied out to the left side. This time, she got the ball down and past Raleigh Odom at short.
The hit brought Boyd in for a 2-1 lead. In the Northeast eighth, Amber Gray reached on a two-out error. Then Jana Olczak lined out to Boyd at second, ending the game.
Both teams had eight hits. Blanks was 2-for-4 to lead Meridian. Ashley Brown singled and scored in the fifth off an RBI fly out by Raven Williams. Boyd also had a hit and run scored.
Northeast got its run in the first when Webb reached on an error and later scored on a fly ball to right-center by Amber Gray. Danielle McCoy and Odom each had two hits for the Lady Trojans.
The two teams will head out of town on Saturday. Northeast will play in the East Central Tournament in Hurley. Meridian goes to a tournament at New Hope, the defending 4A champions.