Lady Bulldogs advance in playoffs

By By Ryan Satcher/staff writer
April 14, 2002
The Clarkdale Lady Bulldogs took a big 10-0 victory in the first game against visiting Mize to gain momentum and finished off the visitors 4-1 in the second game to win their first round playoff series in softball action Saturday afternoon.
Emily Howard and JorD'an Orr pitched well and the Lady Bulldog offense put across enough runs to pick up the victories.
Clarkdale improves to 24-9-1 on the season. The Lady Bulldogs move on in the playoffs and will play second-round games on Thursday.
Clarkdale 10
Mize 0
Howard struck out 12 batters and allowed only one hit as Clarkdale ten-run ruled the visiting Lady Bulldogs 10-0 in the first game of the day.
The Lady Bulldogs scored three runs in the second inning and three more in the third inning to blow the game open and go on to win.
Howard reached base on an error to begin the bottom of the second inning. After a wild pitch, Ashley Satcher hit a groundball into the hole that was mishandled by the shortstop to give Clarkdale a runner on first and third. Sabrina Woodall knocked in a run with a sacrifice bunt to make the score 1-0 and move Satcher to second. After a wild pitch and ground out to the pitcher, Bethany Spidle hit a hard ground ball to short. Spidle was able to beat the play out. Satcher scored on the play to give Clarkdale a 2-0 lead. Savannah Satcher followed with a hit that fell in over third base and knocked in Spidle to make the score 3-0 after two innings.
Clarkdale score three more runs in the third inning. With one out, Orr walked. Then she stole second and moved to third when the throw down went into the outfield. Howard walked to bring Ashley Satcher to the plate. Satcher ripped the ball to left for a hit and the ball got by the leftfielder to allow both runners to score. Satcher ended up at third and scored when Woodall singled to give Clarkdale a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Lady Bulldogs added some insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. Orr walked to start the inning. Howard followed with an infield hit and Orr moved all the way to third. Ashley Satcher grounded out to bring Orr in from third and Woodall followed with an RBI ground out to make the score 8-0.
Meanwhile, Howard dominated the Mize hitters. After allowing a hit in the first inning, Howard settled down and didn't allow another baserunner until the sixth when a Jessica Sullivan reached base on a wild pitch on the third strike of a strikeout. Sullivan was later caught stealing and Howard's shutout stayed intact.
Savannah Satcher reached on an error with one out in the sixth inning. Brandi Wright singled and both runners were able to advance on a throwing error to give Clarkdale runners at second and third. A wild pitch allowed Savannah Satcher to score and Wright came around all the way from second to score when the ball got away. Wright's run ended the game by the ten-run rule.
Clarkdale 4
Mize 1
Orr struck out seven batters in five innings of work and allowed only one run as Clarkdale took the second game and the series 4-1.
The Lady Bulldogs didn't put as many runs on the board in the second game but did a good job of manufacturing the runs they needed.
Mize threatened in the top of the first. Brooke Robinson singled to start the game and moved over the second on a sacrifice by Sullivan. Robinson stole third but was tagged out at the plate to end the inning when she tried to score on a wild pitch.
Howard singled to start the second inning for Clarkdale and stole second. She later was able to score on a groundout by Woodall to give Clarkdale a 1-0 lead.
Spidle started the bottom of the third with a single. She stole second and later scored on a ground out by Megan Potate. Mize left two runners stranded in the top of the third, but finally got on the board in the fourth. Caitlin Bryant singled to start the inning.
After a fielder's choice, the runner moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Layne Travis reached on a throwing error. Orr struck out a batter to strand two more Mize runners.
Clarkdale had a chance to blow the game open but left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth. The Lady Bulldogs did plate two more runs in the fifth to finish out the scoring.
Wright reached on a bunt single and stole second. Orr singled to score Wright. Howard followed with a ground ball to third. The throw trying to get Orr at second went into the outfield and Orr was able to score to make the final score 4-1.
Howard kept Mize scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings to pick up the save.