By By Marty Stamper / staff writer
October 20, 2004
DECATUR West Lauderdale and Newton County thrive on suspense when they meet in slow-pitch softball.
So much so that it will be two more days before they decide which team will advance to the Class 3A state tournament set for Saturday at the V.A. Fields in Jackson.
Tuesday's Class 3A South State championship series was suspended due to rain and lightning with Newton County leading 2-0 in the top of the second inning of the second game. West won the opener 2-1.
The second game will resume where it was suspended Thursday at 6 p.m. at Mack Fanning Softball Field.
All three games that have been completed this year have been settled by one-run margins and the West-Newton County winner has gone on to win the Class 3A state championship each of the last four years.
In the first game, Newton County took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Melissa Robinson. Kristen Pillsbury, Kasie Buckley, and Lorna Blackburn all singled to start the inning, but the Lady Cougars managed only one run.
West pulled even in the top of the fifth when Holly Herrington singled to start the inning, took second on a fly ball to right-center, and scored on a fielder's choice by Katie McAlister after another single by Josie Matthews.
Herrington, who went 2-for-4, scored the winning run in the top of the seventh. She again led off with a single, moved up on a fly ball to the outfield, and scored on a two-out single to right-center by Kristi Lantz.
Lantz and Morgan Gullette had two of the Lady Knights' 10 hits. West (29-4) stranded 13 baserunners, including seven over the first three frames.
Sommer Jones (29-4) got the win.
Newton County (22-13) had seven hits with Pillsbury getting a pair of singles. Chassidy Smith (22-12) took the loss.
In the second game, Newton County picked up a pair of runs in the top of the first inning and had runners on first and second base with two outs in the top of the second when play was suspended until Thursday.
In the first inning, Pillsbury and Buckley led off with singles. Pillsbury scored on a single by Robinson and Buckley came home from second base on a deep fly ball by Bettina McDougle.
West went down in order in the bottom of the first.
The cutouts around the bases were tarped in the top of the second, but the rain, which had already fallen at times during the first game, quickly led to the decision to suspend play.