By Staff
MAKING THE PLAY Meridian High School second baseman Lainie Simcox makes a throw to first base in the Lady Wildcats' game against Southeast Lauderdale in the second inning on Monday. Southeast Lauderdale won 10-7. Photo by Kyle Carter/The Meridian Star
By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
Aug. 19, 2003
The Southeast Lauderdale Lady Tigers gave Meridian High a rude welcome to the 2003 slow-pitch softball season on Monday night.
The Lady Tigers jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 10-7 win to improve to 4-2 for the year.
The game was the first of the year for Meridian, after a rainout and canceled game pushed the Lady Wildcats' season back.
Meridian took an early lead in the game with two runs in the top of the first inning. Artesian Boyd singled and scored on a triple by Carsheena Blanks. Amber Felton brought in Blanks with a ground out to make the score 2-0.
Southeast answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
With two outs, Laci Maxwell singled and scored on a triple by Lindsey Graham. Heather Ward followed with an RBI single, and Jessica Frazier brought in the final run of the inning with a double off the left-center fielder's glove.
Meridian scored a run in the second inning on a couple of Southeast errors, but the Lady Tigers took the lead in the third, with a run.
Graham singled in Lindsey Raines to make the score 4-3, but Meridian got out of a bases-loaded jam one batter later with a double play.
Southeast blew the game open in the fourth inning with six runs. Frazier singled and moved to second on an error. Eli Bowen grounded to short, but reached base on an error.
Jessica Rose loaded the bases with a single, and Heather Harper followed with a two-run single for a 6-3 lead.
Tamra Harrison brought in another run with a sacrifice fly, and Raines followed with an RBI single. Maxwell singled in another run later in the inning and an error allowed the final Southeast run of the inning to come in for a 10-3 advantage.
Meridian scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning on a couple Southeast errors and a sacrifice fly by Blanks, but could not complete the comeback and fell to 0-1 for the year with the loss.
The Lady Wildcats travel to play Petal tonight, while the Lady Tigers will host Carthage on Thursday night. Southeast will also host West Lauderdale on Friday. The game with the Lady Knights was moved up a week because of a scheduling conflict.