Hood leads North in slowpitch all star win

By Marty Stamper

The Meridian Star

4A-5A SLOWPITCH

DECATUR — The North swept the South 11-2 and 8-7 in the Mississippi Association of Coaches Class 4A-5A Slowpitch All-Star Games Friday, June 20 at Newton County High School.

Late afternoon rain along with the Class 1A-2A-3A contests pushed the large school doubleheader back to after a 10 p.m. start.

The North didn’t seem to mind the delay as it scored three runs in both the first and second innings, then tacked on five more runs in the fifth to go up 11-2.

A two-run single by Cortney Ragland of Pearl gave the North the lead for good in the first inning.

Haley Hood of South Panola went 3-for-4 to lead the North. Ragland had two singles and three RBI. Winning pitcher Etta Lewis of Clinton drove in a pair of runs with a single and a double. Kacie White of Pontotoc also had a single and a double. Neshoba Central’s Sierra Farlow had a pair of singles, while Lady Rocket teammate Emily Breland had a double and two RBIs.

Katie Dear of Florence led the South with a pair of singles.

Taylor Meyers of Poplarville took the loss.

The South was on the verge of coming away with a split as it led 7-5 through six innings of the second game. The North tallied three times in the top of the seventh, then got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh for an 8-7 win.

Reagan Aultman of New Hope had a two-run triple in the top of the seventh for the North.

The North took a 3-1 lead with three runs in the top of the second inning only to have the South go up 4-3 with three runs in the bottom of the second.

Trailing 5-3, the North drew even with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth only to have the South answer with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to go back up 7-5.

Farlow and White both had a pair of singles and drove in two runs for the North.

In the two games, White went 4-for-6 with three RBIs to earn team MVP honors.

South MVP Terri Hodges of Brookhaven had a double and a sacrifice fly to plate three runs for the losers. Shaina Starks of Lawrence County had a single and a triple. Meridian’s Ashley Bell had a pair of singles as did Alicia Berry of Brandon.

Lewis again got the win with Meyers taking the loss.

 Editor’s Note: Reprinted with permission by Steve Gillespie, managing editor, The Meridian Star.