St. Patrick Punches Ticket for Title Rematch

BILOXI–Jennifer Gary’s three run bomb put the Lady Irish up 4-0 in the first, and her work in the circle kept St. Patrick ahead as they swept the Sumrall Bobcats in the 3A fast pitch south state championship series Saturday at Lady Irish Field, picking up an 11-0 victory.

Gary’s homer followed an RBI single from Sarah Van Schaik in the first inning. In the second inning, Elizabeth Zorich, who went 3-3, hit a two run shot to push the St. Patrick lead to 6-0.

“We have kids who swing the bat pretty well when we’re at home,” said St. Patrick coach Tommy Castanedo, commenting on the different dimensions of the fields in the series.

Gary, who pitched four scoreless innings to earn the victory, combined with Ashlyn Williams to toss a one-hitter.

The Lady Irish (24-7) took advantage of two hits and two errors in the bottom of the fourth to score five more runs.

Chasity Lowe picked up the only hit for Sumrall (23-10).

St. Patrick will face defending champion Nettleton in a rematch of last year’s title series.

“Last year when we went up there, we were kind of starry eyed,” said Castanedo “This year we have just about everyone back except for our catcher and left fielder.  We have a better pitching staff as a whole.”

The series is scheduled to start Friday at Freedom Park in Ridgeland.

West Sweeps the East in Gulf Coast Coaches Futures All-Star Game

If the action on the field at Biloxi High School represented the future, the next couple of years will be good for the schools on the western side of the Mississippi Coast as the West squad swept the East in two games in the Gulf Coast Coaches All-Stars Futures Game Tuesday at Biloxi.

WEST 5  EAST 4

Game one remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Biloxi’s Brittany Lang walked D’Iberville’s Dani Craft to put the lead off runner on base, and Craft scored on a single by Harrison Central’s Dani Barton. Picayune’s Millie Gill reached on a throwing error, and Long Beach’s Mel McCoy slapped a double to bring both home, giving the West a 3-0 lead.

The East put together a two out rally in the fifth when St. Martin’s Ashley Hickman’s doubled in her teammate Paige Breal and Lang.  Hickman later scored on an RBI single by Vancleave’s Cherokee Strickland, and she scored on a singly by East Central’s Rachel Rogers to give the East a 4-3 lead.

The West tied the game in the bottom of the inning.  Bay’s Michell Stringer lead off with a triple, but was thrown out at third on a fielder’s choice that allowed Poplarville’s Micah Davis to reach base. Davis scored on an RBI ground out by Harrison Central’s Dani Barton to tie the game at 4-4.

The West scored in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.  Bay’s Meghan Maddox drew a walk and scored on an RBI single by McCoy.

Hickman led the East squad, going 2-4 with 2 RBIs, and McCoy led the West going 3-4 with 3 RBIs.  Lang struck out five in five innings of work.

WEST 5  EAST 2

The West squad jumped to an early lead in game two, and they never looked back in completing the sweep of Tuesday night’s action.

In the second inning, Barton singled and scored on a single by Poplarville’s Rachel Hickman.  Rachel Hickman would come around and score on a sacrifice fly by Stringer to give the West a 2-0 lead.

Stone’s Tessa Dalrymple led off the second with a single and later scored on a passed ball to cut the lead in half, and the squad tied the game in the fourth when Rogers hit a lead off double and scored on an error.

The West scored three times in the fifth to put the game out of reach. Stringer led the inning off with a single, and Our Lady Academy’s Blake Stefano singled right behind her. McCoy scored both with a double that hit the right center field wall in the air, and D’Iberville’s Dani Craft drove in McCoy with a double of her own to give the West a 5-2 lead.

McCoy went 2-4 with 2 RBIs to again lead the West. Lang, Rogers, Dalrymple and St. Martin’s Jamie Desporte all went one for three for the East.  Maddox picked up the game two win.

“It feels pretty good to be able to pick up the win,” said Maddox, who also said playing in the all-star game is an enjoyable experience. “It’s a lot of fun.  You get to play with girls that you are not used to playing with from around the coast.”

Rogers was recognized as the MVP for the East team, and McCoy won the award for the West.

“I’m honored to get it,” said McCoy, who also feels players should have a good time in the exhibition. “You’ve got to have fun.  The other team was a little uptight. We are all friends, and I think the relaxed atmosphere helped me out a lot.”

Madison Central Blanks Petal, Wins Consecutive Titles

Madison Central Celebrates Capturing State Championship

RIDGELAND–The Madison Central bats pounded out eight runs, and Kelly Young kept the Petal bats quiet all afternoon as the Lady Jaguars thumped the Lady Panthers behind Young’s no-hit effort to earn an 8-0 win and claim their second consecutive 6A state championship.

In the bottom of the first, Katie Anne Bailey hit a lead off double and a sacrifice bunt by Katelyn Murray and a sacrificy fly by Mari Ashton Lovelace gave Madison Central an early 1-0 lead.

That would be all the support Young needed to pick up the win.  Young only allowed three base runners in the ball game. Megan Scronce reached base on an error in the first, and Young hit Ciarra Cherry with a pitch in the second. Cherry also walked in the fifth and was the only runner to advance past first for Petal.

While Young struck out eight in her complete game no-hitter, she said the play of her team allowed her to pitch with confidence.

“It helped that we put eight runs on the board, and we played good defense,” said Young.

Madison Central started to pull away from Petal in the third when Bailey hit a two run homer to put the Lady Jaguars up 3-0.

The Lady Jags sealed the game in the fifth inning. Bailey led off with a single and scored on an error that allowed Lovelace to reach base. Lovelace scored on a single by Lindsey Rowe. Rowe crossed the plate on a double

by Megan Murray.  Crystal Kehtel walked, and back to back singles by Bailey Stokes and Brittany McBrain drove in Murray and Kehtel to give Madison Central an 8-0 lead.

The scene on the field Saturday was not one that many expected after Madison Central started 9-7.  Madison Central coach Kayla Watkins said she did not think there was a great difference in her squad from the beginning of the season, but it was a matter of team developing what was inside of them.

“The longer we played, the bigger our hearts got,” said Watkins. ” That was in them from the get-go.”

Neely McCrary went the distance for Petal, but took the loss. Bailey and Rowe both went three for four for Madison Central, and McBrain went two for three from the plate.

The win gave Madison Central its third straight championship.  The 2009 title came at the 5A classification, which at the time, was composed of the 32 largest high schools in Mississippi.

Photos from the State Championship– http://southmssports.dotphoto.com

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Nettleton Sweeps St. Patrick for 3A Championship

Nettleton Celebrates State Title

RIDGELAND–The St. Patrick Lady Irish stormed out to an early lead, but fifth inning errors doomed the squad as they lost 6-5 to the Nettleton Lady Tigers claimed a two game sweep of the MHSAA 3A fast-pitch softball championship.

The Lady Irish took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Madison Ulrich hit a leadoff single and scored on an RBI single by Emma Rae Castanedo.

Nettleton answered in their half of the inning when Anna Kent drew a leadoff walk and scored on an error.  The Lady Tigers had a chance to do more damage, but Hayley Parker grounded out with bases loaded to allow the Lady Irish to escape the jam.

The Lady Irish bats came to life in the third inning when the team used three hits and an error to score three runs. Paige Lyons, the lead off hitter, reached on an error, and Kaitlin Lee hit a one out single before both runners scored on an RBI double by Jenifer Gary. Ulrich grounded out, allowing Gary to score, and the Lady Irish took a 4-1 lead.

As his team came off of the field, Nettleton coach Chris Kidd huddled his team together. “Even down four to one, when a lot of teams would feel like they’re beat, I didn’t see it in them.”

The Lady Tigers began their comeback in the fourth. Jessica Patterson hit a lead off double, and Korie Leach reached on an error, and both would come around and score on back to back singles by Bramlett and Parker to cut the St. Patrick lead to 4-3.

In the fifth inning, Nettleton took control for good.  Makenzie Hakwins and Michele Hester started the inning with back to back singles, and Patterson drove in Hawkins while Hester scored on an error.  Kent would also reach and score on an error to give the Lady Tigers a 6-4 lead.

“Against good ball clubs, you can’t give them five outs per inning,” said St. Patrick coach Tommy Castanedo. “That inning we had to get five outs, and that’s not going to work.”

The Lady Irish did not go quietly. Down to their final strike, Gary sent a home run over the left center field fence to cut the lead to one. Ulrich reached on an error before Hester retired Tina Hophan to give the Lady Tigers their second straight fast pitch crown.

The win was the last for Kidd who has accepted a job as an elementary administrator in Hatley.

Nettleton Tops St. Patrick in Game One

RIDGELAND–Chicks dig the long ball, and the Nettleton Lady Tigers proved it Friday, launching four home runs in their 8-2 victory over the St. Patrick Lady Irish in game one of their MHSAA 3A fast-pitch softball championship Friday.

Hayley Parker hit one of her two homers in the opening at bat of the series, quickly giving Nettleton a 1-0 lead.

In the second inning, Kaleigh Tackett doubled and scored on an error pushing the Nettleton lead to 2-0.

Parker’s second homer, a two run shot, put the Lady Tigers ahead 4-0 in the fourth inning.

The Lady Irish got on the board in the fifth inning when Ashley Davis reached and scored on an error. Emma Rae Castanedo singled and scored on an RBI ground out by Ashlyn Torricelli to cut the Nettleton lead to 4-2.

The Lady Tigers started to pull away in the sixth when Korie Beth Leach led off the inning with a solo bomb, and in the seventh, Nettleton added three runs, two on a homer by Makenzie Hawkins, to take an 8-2 lead.

Michele Hester picked up the win for Nettleton, going the distance and striking out six. Kaitlin Lee took the loss for St. Patrick.  She struck out seven, and gave up eight runs, five of which were earned.

Lee and Madison Ulrich led St. Patrick hitters, going two for four from the plate.

Game two will be played Saturday at 11 in Ridgeland.  Game three, if necessary, will follow in the afternoon.

Quick Links to Fast Pitch Softball Brackets

FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

1A FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

2A FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

3A FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

4A FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

5A FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

6A FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

1A Fast Pitch Bracket

Here is the schedule for the 1A North/South State Fast Pitch Championship

North State

Game 1: West Union at Wheeler Thursday

Game 2: Wheeler at West Union Saturday

Game 3: Wheeler at West Union Saturday (if necessary)

South State

Game 1: Bogue Chitto at Sebastopol Thursday

Game 2: Sebastopol at Bogue Chitto Saturday

Game 3: Sebastopol at Bogue Chitto Saturday (if necessary)

State Championship—May 20-21 at Freedom Ridge Park in Ridgeland

3A Fast Pitch Softball Bracket

3A Fast Pitch Softball North/South State

North State Schedule

Game 1: Mooreville at Nettleton Thursday

Game 2: Nettleton at Mooreville Saturday

Game 3: Nettleton at Mooreville Saturday (if neccessary)

South State Schedule

Game 1: St. Patrick at Clarkdale Thursday

Game 2: Clarkdale at St. Patrick Saturday

Game 3: Clarkdale at St. Patrick Saturday (if neccessary)

State Championship: May 20-21, Freedom Ridge Park, Ridgeland

4A Fast Pitch Softball

The 4A fast pitch tournament is down to its final four.

North State Schedule

Game 1: Kosciusko at North Pontotoc Thursday

Game 2: North Pontotoc at Kosciusko Saturday

Game 3: North Pontotoc at Kosciusko Saturday (if necessary)

South State Schedule

Game 1: Newton County at West Lauderdale Thursday

Game 2: West Lauderdale at Newton County Saturday

Game 3: West Lauderdale at Newton County Saturdday (if necessary)

State Championship: May 20-21, Freedom Ridge Park, Ridgleand