By By Will Bardwell/staff writer
August 24, 2003
No championship was awarded at the Meridian Slowpitch Festival on Saturday, but don't tell that to the Southeast Lauderdale Lady Tigers.
After capping off a three-win day with an 8-2 win over Choctaw Central, the Lady Tigers unceremoniously dumped their cooler of ice water over the shoulders of unsuspecting head coach Ryan Miller.
On a day in which the Lady Tigers' overall record improved to 8-4, Miller was not complaining about the unexpected bath only that his team was 3-1 in the tournament instead of undefeated.
"We should've been 4-0, so that was a little frustrating," said Miller, whose team dropped a 5-3 decision to Quitman in its first game of the day. "We didn't play our best softball in three of the four games and still won three of them, so that gives us a boost of confidence."
Miller was not the only coach getting wet at the end of the day. After claiming their first win of the season, a 14-1 win over West Point in their final game of the tournament, several Meridian players doused Lady Wildcats head coach Susan Frazier as well.
"We just needed to get some confidence," Frazier said after the win. "We needed a win bad. Hopefully this will get us started and give us the confidence we need."
Frazier credited the Lady Wildcats' slow start to their inexperience.
"They're young, and not many have played before," Frazier said. "They put so much pressure on themselves. You just try to hang in there and hold your own. It was good to finish on a winning note."
The multi-game softball event, which took place at Northeast Park in Meridian, lasted all day. The first games began at 9:30 a.m., and the last contest, which Lawrence County won over West Lauderdale 18-6, wrapped up just before 8:30 p.m.
A total of 23 games were played, with each team playing anywhere from two to four games.
Other results were: West Lauderdale 11, Wayne County 1; Petal 13, Newton County 2; Choctaw Central 7, Meridian 6; New Hope 6, Lawrence County 3; Northeast Lauderdale 13, Harrison Central 4; Southeast Lauderdale 6, Wayne County 4; West Lauderdale 15, Petal 6; Quitman 9, West Point 3; Southeast Lauderdale 15, Meridian 5; Northeast Lauderdale 11, Lawrence County 9; Choctaw Central 8, Harrison Central 3; New Hope 4, Newton County 2; Wayne County 9, West Point 3; West Lauderdale 6, Quitman 5; Petal 7, Northeast Lauderdale 3; Lawrence County 11, Harrison Central 8; Northeast Lauderdale 11, Wayne County 1; Quitman 3, Petal 2; Harrison Central 8, West Point 0.