It was a tough first day of action for the local teams in the 17th Annual State Games of Mississippi all-star baseball competition at Meridian Community College.
District Five, which includes eight players from The Meridian Star’s coverage area, opened the day by falling in a 13-9 slugfest to District One. District Four, which includes a pair of Neshoba Central standouts, was then blanked 11-0 in a four-and-a-half inning contest.
The two area squads will tangle at 10 a.m. today in an elimination game at MCC’s Scaggs Field; while Districts One and Eight will meet at 4 this afternoon in a winner’s bracket game.
The eight-team, College World Series-format event ends Sunday.
District One 13
District Five 9
Chase Reeves ripped a three-run home run to spark a six-run rally in the first inning, and District One never trailed.
District Five got within 6-3 after two frames; within 9-6 after three innings; and within 10-7 after four.
Clarkdale’s Hunter Graham started and was charged with the loss, giving up six runs — four of them earned. He gave way on the mound to Cory Bass of Northeast Lauderdale and Zac Ferguson.
The District Five team also includes the Meridian High duo of Michael Sterling and Jacoby Robinson, Northeast’s Cameron Buford, Clarkdale’s Kasey Hinton, West Lauderdale’s Dustin James and Demarcus Henderson of Wayne County.
Henderson doubled and tripled in Thursday’s loss, while Sterling led the team with three hits — one of them a double. Vito Perna had two singles and Tre Keyes a double.
In addition to the three-run homer, Reeves also got the win on the mound for District One. He went three innings and gave up six runs before Cole Morse and Kyle Stephenson finished in relief.
Blake Littlejohn had a solo homer and a single and Brandon Woodruff added two doubles, a single and two RBIs for District One.
Tanner Gaines also had three hits including a double in the win, while Morse and Drew Cristo both had doubles.
District Eight 11
District Four 0
Luke Lowery of unbeaten and Class 3A state champion Sumrall threw a five-inning, two-hit shutout to lift District Eight to a rout-shortened win.
The only hits for District Four were a single from Phillip Tice in the third inning and a pinch-hit single from Nicholas Durrah in the fourth.
Mitchell Wooten started and took the loss, giving up seven runs — just two of them earned — in 3.1 innings.
Lowery fanned nine and hit one in his five-inning stint.
Offensively, District Eight got a two-run double from Austin Knight that capped a six-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jackson Posey added a single, double and two RBIs.
Sports
Local teams strike out on opening day
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Clarkdale serves notice in rout of Enterprise
The Clarkdale girls’ basketball team served notice that it belonged among the top teams in MHSAA Class 2A with a 59-56 division win at defending 2A state champion Scott Central on January 31.
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Northeast Lauderdale stuns, upsets Northeast Jones in opening round.
Shaquanta McDonald and Tarmecia Mack each scored 10 points as The Trojans beat the Tigers 42-28 in the opening round of the District 5-4A District Tournament held at West Lauderdale Tuesday. Brittany Williams added nine points for Northeast Lauderdale (5-21).
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Season Ender
The defense was there, but the offense never came around and Meridian High saw its playoff hopes disappear as Oak Grove pulled away in the final minutes to knock off the host Wildcats 58-48 on Tuesday night in the Region 5-6A Tournament.
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Kemper County wins thriller over Heidelberg
In a division with traditional powerhouses Choctaw Central, Southeast Lauderdale and Newton – the fourth-and-fifth-seeded Kemper County and Heidelberg girls both were hoping to just punch their ticket to the Class 3A state playoffs and hope to hit a hot streak.
Part one of that equation was successful for Kemper County Tuesday night, but it was far from easy. -
New-look Lions set to open 2012 softball season
Coming off the most successful season of fast-pitch softball competition in the program’s history, the East Mississippi Community College Lions are set to open their 2012 softball campaign by playing host to Marion Military Institute Tuesday afternoon on the Scooba campus. First pitch for the season-opening doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
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Yellowjackets survive Hornets, keep season alive
Rarely does a team commit 46 turnovers and not get run out of the gym, but the Union girls overcame their ballhandling woes to knock off Lake 41-38 in overtime of the MHSAA Division 6-2A Tournament Monday night.
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Roundup — MCC baseball splits pair at tourney
The Meridian Community College Eagles salvaged a split of its final games in the 2012 T.J. Fleming Invitational at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College on Sunday. -
Crusaders use experience, speed to topple Tornadoes
Philadelphia and Sacred Heart both entered Friday's Class 1A/2A/3A soccer state championship game looking for their first state crown.
The Crusaders, though, had finished as runners-up the previous two seasons, and used that experience and their speed to their advantage as they scored three first half goals in route to a 3-1 win. -
Roundup — West girls rally past Louisville
The West Lauderdale girls basketball team overcame an early deficit to top visiting Louisville 60-56 to close out the regular season Friday.
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Dreams Dashed
A real life David vs. Goliath meeting took place in the Class 1A/2A/3A girls state championship soccer game Friday afternoon at Clinton High School's Arrow Field.
Having never advanced farther than the second round of the MSHSAA soccer playoffs, Clarkdale entered looking to shock the state and win its first state title. In th way stood Our Lady Academy, a nine-time state champion from Bay St. Louis.
The Crescents blanked the Bulldogs 5-0 for their third straight title and 10th since 2000. - More Sports Headlines
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