By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
April 17, 2001
UNION With Clarkdale and Union already in their respective state playoffs and other teams bailing out of games at the end of the regular season, the two baseball teams quickly scheduled one final tuneup Monday before the postseason gets under way on Thursday.
Clarkdale revved up its offense for 10 runs on 10 hits in the fifth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit en route to a 12-3 win.
Clarkdale, which will host Loyd Star Thursday at 6 p.m. in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs, improved to 23-6.
Union, which will host Mize at 5 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs, fell to 19-11.
Four Clarkdale hurlers combined to limit Union to just two hits. Bulldog starter Andy Thomas threw three perfect innings before being lifted to start the fourth inning.
Matt Minchew was the beneficiary of the big inning as he improved to 3-0.
Clarkdale took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Lance Miles singled and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Corey Godwin.
Union got all three of its runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Justin Darby was hit by a pitch and Jody Blount walked. Blount lured the Bulldogs into a rundown between first and second with Darby scoring when Minchew's throw from shortstop to the plate was high. Eric Graham had an RBI-single with Zack Robinson getting a walk and scoring on a wild pitch in the inning.
While the Yellow Jackets had only two hits for the game, Clarkdale had four batters get two hits apiece in the fifth inning outburst.
Thomas, Godwin, Brandon Mabry, and Chris Moffett each had two singles in the inning with Moffett driving in three runs.
For the game, Moffett and Miles both went 3-for-5 to lead Clarkdale. Mabry, Thomas, and Godwin each had two hits.
Union got a single apiece from Darby and Graham.
B.J. Norton took the loss in relief as he gave up all 10 runs in the fifth after tossing two perfect innings.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.