By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
May 2, 2002
Clarkdale was the first school in this part of the state to begin playing fast-pitch softball back in the early 1990s. Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs will try to bring home the school's first state championship in that sport.
Clarkdale, 29-9-1, will meet Mooreville, 31-10, in a best-of-three series for the Class 1A/2A State Championship at the V.A. Fields in Jackson. The first game is set for 11 a.m.
This is the first year Clarkdale won't have to compete with larger schools to win a state title.
If preparing for the big show means anything, the Lady Bulldogs should be more than ready. During the season, they've faced second-ranked East Central, No. 3 Madison Central, No. 5 Starkville, No. 6 South Jones, No. 7 Newton County (twice), and No. 9 Terry along with other playoff participants in Columbia, Morton, Northeast Jones, Union (twice), Meridian, Enterprise (twice), Clinton, Northwest Rankin, Gautier, Lawrence County, and New Hope. In those 20 games, the Lady Bulldogs are 12-7-1.
While Clarkdale has not played Mooreville, the Lady Troopers are certainly no strangers. Mooreville played in the eighth-annual Clarkdale Spring Fling in mid-March, losing 1-0 to Newton County, 2-1 to Moss Point, and 4-0 to Kosciusko and beating Neshoba Central 3-0.
Leading the Lady Troopers are sister pitchers Anna Woolven (19-4) and Elizabeth Woolven (12-5), along with center fielder Melissa Turner, third baseman Candy Shumpert, first baseman Kelley Hankins, shortstop Megan Webb, and catcher Beka Payne.
Roberson scouted the Lady Troopers' 7-2 Game 3 win over Hamilton Monday at Mooreville, where the Lady Troopers did not lose a game this season.
Clarkdale will go with junior JorD'an Orr at third base, sophomore Brandi Wright at second base, sophomore Emily Howard (21-4) on the mound, senior Ashley Satcher at first base, sophomore Megan Potate at shortstop, eighth grader Sabrina Woodall in right field, sophomore Bethany Spidle in center field, eighth grader Savannah Satcher in left field, and sophomore Casey Meador behind the plate. Freshman Kaylea Thrash will be the designated hitter. Orr (8-3) is the Lady Bulldogs' other pitcher.