MERIDIAN —
Nine times Lauren Thrash came to bat Tuesday night and nine times the Clarkdale leadoff hitter didn't see a pitch.
But it made little difference for the Bulldogs in their Class 2A playoff opener as they hammered visiting Puckett 14-0 and 13-5 with key contributions from Heather Harwell, Molly McLeod and Shelby Blackwell, the three players hitting right behind the senior star.
"Heather, Molly and Blackwell are going to need to hit behind her, and they have," Clarkdale interim coach Britt Bennett said as his Bulldogs (16-12) advance to host East Webster, a 12-5 and 13-8 winner against Bay Springs, in Saturday's second round.
"But yeah, she's not going to see many pitches in the playoffs."
That protection was provided early. In the five-inning opener, Harwell tripled in the first to drive in Thrash and set the tone for the Clarkdale romp. The Bulldogs scored three times in the inning as Harwell scored on a McLeod sacrifice fly and Kristen Mitchell later singled and scored on Sarah Wright's single.
The Bulldogs tacked on seven more runs in the second as the first six hitters reached. This time, Thrash was intentionally walked to load the bases and again Harwell delivered, singling to score Alex Riser. McLeod then drew a walk and Blackwell singled as well. Riser actually had two hits in the inning, driving in the seventh and final run with her second single.
Clarkdale, which had 16 hits in the first game, received hits from nine different players. Harwell led the six with multiple hits — Mitchell, Breanna Ivey, Wright, Riser and Kandi Collins — with three. She also scored three runs and drove in two. McLeod, who also earned the win in the circle, knocked in three runs without a hit.
"That's what I told them, if we hit like that we can beat anybody," Bennett said. "We had a couple booboos on defense and we'll have to clean that up."
The Wolves provided a tougher test in Game 2 as they answered Clarkdale's first inning run with one of their own. And then after the Bulldogs built a 6-1 lead in the top of the third, Puckett again pulled close with a grand slam. However, that was as close as the Wolves would get as Clarkdale scored in three of the final four innings. Also, Puckett didn't get a hit the rest of the way.
"That was good, we needed a little challenge," Bennett added. "And we responded.
"I was pleased with the effort. I talked to them (Monday) about getting that Clarkdale swagger back. We haven't had that the last couple weeks. And playoff time is my favorite time of the year; watching baseball and football games are on and we're in the playoffs. I love October."
And once again, Thrash's protection led the way for Clarkdale. Blackwell hammered a two-run home run in the third following McLeod's leadoff double. In the sixth as the Bulldogs started to pull away, Harwell doubled and McLeod and Blackwell each provided RBIs. McLeod also added a three-run double in the seventh following an RBI single from Harwell.
Sports
Bulldogs blister Wolves to open playoffs
- Sports
-
-
After rainouts, Phil Hardin Rookie season gets underway
Concessions are open, the chalk is smudged, fans are cheering. Youth baseball is back at Phil Hardin Park.
-
Tar Heels tame Tigers in CWS
Home runs are few and far between at the College World Series these days, which made Brian Holberton's first-inning shot all the more important for North Carolina.
-
EMCC, MCC honored for academics
East Mississippi Community College has earned the distinction of being the 2012-13 NJCAA Softball Academic Team of the Year for achieving a 3.59 cumulative grade point average to rank first nationally among the 369 colleges that compete in softball at the junior college level.
-
On short rest, Braves swept by Mets in doubleheader
After a long day at Turner Field, the future suddenly looks a lot brighter for the New York Mets.
-
Learning from the best
Professional soccer coaches from the United Kingdom where football is king were working hard Monday in the Mississippi humidity teaching youngsters the nuances of the game.
-
Movin’ on up: Bulldogs rally past Hoosiers, 5-4
Trey Porter drove in the go-ahead runs in the eighth inning, and Mississippi State took control of its bracket in the College World Series with a 5-4 victory over Indiana on Monday night.
-
Rose not taking any time off
U.S. Open champion Justin Rose has no plans to take any time off after winning his first major championship.
-
Bruins blank Chicago in regulation, 2-0
Tuukka Rask shut out the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals on Monday night and got enough help from the Bruins' offense to do it without another exhausting overtime.
-
Rivalry Renewed
On paper, Meridian Futbol Club's 1-0 win over Premier Futbol Club of Meridian Saturday in the State Games of Mississippi U10 Youth Soccer Tournament held little significance. With only three teams entered in the U10 division, both teams were assured a spot in Sunday's medal round.
-
Running new roots
I started running during rehab after major knee surgery four years ago. I kept running because I had the knee surgery.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions
Raw: Car Jumps Curb in NYC, Injures 8
Obama: 'Lives Have Been Saved' by NSA Programs
Obama: Friction in Afghan Talks No Surprise
Unusual Heat Wave Bakes Alaska
Raw: Massive Protests Fill Brazilian Streets
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter
Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
