By Staff
SAFE – Southeast Lauderdale's Sam Smith beats the tag of Meridian's Artesian Boyd at second base during Tuesday's prep softball action. Meridian won the game 13-9. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
Aug. 21, 2002
Things got a little uncomfortable for visiting Meridian in the bottom of the seventh, but the Lady Wildcats made enough plays both in the field and at the plate to subdue an improved Southeast Lauderdale club Tuesday night in prep softball action.
Meridian withstood a late five-run rally by Southeast in its final at bat to take the 13-9 win. The Lady Wildcats stay unbeaten at 3-0 on the season going into this weekend's Meridian Invitational at Northeast Park.
Southeast, who was playing without head coach Ryan Miller, is 0-2. Miller was at his wife's side Tuesday evening for the birth of their child.
Meridian head coach Thad George was glad to see his team get out of the seventh-inning jam without further damage.
Meridian battled back from an early 3-1 hole by scoring four times in the second inning. Amber Felton had a key two-run double in the at-bat while Megan Waters also followed with an RBI-double to make it 5-3.
A two-out error by Southeast led to two more runs for Meridian in the third to make it 7-3. The Lady Tigers got a run back when Lindsey Raines scored on a fielders choice by Morgan Dikes to cut the Meridian lead to 7-4.
In the Meridian fourth, Carsheena Blanks belted a three-run, inside-the-park homer which brought in Hallie Pearson and Erin Murphy to boost the Lady Wildcat lead to 10-4.
Single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh upped the Meridian spread to 13-4 heading into the Southeast seventh.
The Lady Tigers responded by getting a two-run double from Raines down the left field line. Meridian then made three costly errors including a bad throw over second base which allowed Marqueta Reed to circle the bases following a fielder's choice. Reed's run cut the Meridian lead down to 13-9.
A fly-out to left-center ended the contest.
Meridian had 17 hits. Murphy was 3-for-4 with a double, triple and three runs scored. Felton was also 3-for-4 and drove in two runs. Waters, Artesian Boyd and Ebonee Ball all had two hits. Ball scored three runs and Blanks drove in three.
Southeast, who also play in the Meridian Tournament, finished with 11 hits. Samantha Smith, batting in the leadoff spot, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Raines was 3-for-4 with three runs and two batted in. Madison drove in two runs off a first-inning single that gave Southeast a 3-1 lead after one complete. Dikes ended with two hits.