By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
May 5, 2001
The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles wrapped up the Miss-Lou Conference and Region 23 Division I softball championships with a doubleheader sweep of Bossier Parish at Northeast Park Friday afternoon.
MCC had to score four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 5-4 win in the opener. In the second game, the Lady Eagles scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-0 run-rule win.
MCC's Amy Adcox tossed a one-hitter in the second game.
MCC, ranked 19th in the latest NJCAA poll, improved to 37-11 with the sweep, while Bossier closed out its year at 34-15-2.
Next up for the Lady Eagles is a best-of-three series with the Region 22 (Alabama) champion next week for the right to go to the NJCAA national tournament in Kissimmee, Fla. Next week's series will be played at the site of the Alabama winner.
After a sluggish start in the opener, the Lady Eagles scored the day's final 12 runs.
The Lady Eagles rallied from a 4-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the opener.
MCC started the winning rally with back-to-back walks to Lakenya Wilson and Dreka Shumpert, the only two free passes Bossier's Dana Lemoine issued in the contest. Stephanie Dixon reached on an infield hit to load the bases.
Faith Robinson made it 4-2 with a sacrifice fly that drove in Wilson. Shanna Blanks tied the game with a two-run triple to right-center.
With the infield in with only one out, Adcox slapped the first pitch past Bossier second baseman Sarah Stowell into right center to plate Blanks with the winning run.
Bossier grabbed control early with three runs in the top of the first inning with a two-out rally that saw Crystal Mask hit an RBI-double and Stephanie Youngblood follow with a two-run double in nearly identical spots in left-center.
MCC got one run back in the bottom of the fifth as Robin Holland singled, went to second on a sacrifice by Wilson, and scored when Robinson's hot shot to third base was booted.
Bossier added a run in the top of the seventh when Lemoine singled and scored on a two-out triple by Natalie Hamby.
Dixon went 3-for-4 and Auriel Jenkins went 3-for-3 to lead MCC. Holland went 2-for-3 as the Lady Eagles outhit Bossier 11 to nine.
Adcox got the win with Lemoine taking the loss.
Hamby went 2-for-4 and Stowell went 2-for-3 to lead the Lady Cavaliers.
Adcox (25-3) tossed a one-hitter in the second game, striking out six and not allowing a walk in the six-inning pennant clincher.
Not bad at all for someone who normally tosses the first game with Ryan Reid (12-8) getting the second contest.
MCC got two runs in the bottom of the first inning as Wilson, Dixon, and Blanks each had a single.
Adcox protected that lead until the Lady Eagles racked up six more runs in the sixth inning.
Dixon drew a leadoff walk and Robinson followed with a double. Jenkins and Adcox followed with RBI-singles to put MCC up 4-0.
Run-scoring singles by Holland, Wilson, and Shumpert put the run rule into effect.
Dixon went 2-for-2 and Wilson went 2-for-4 to lead MCC with eight of the nine offensive starters getting at least one hit. The Lady Eagles had 11 hits.
Deshae Cacciola took the loss.
Bossier's only hit off Adcox was a third-inning single by Stowell.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.