Clinton slides by Warren Central|[10/02/07]
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Warren Central has won 20 games this season but three of its last four losses have been by a single run. That happened again Monday night when visiting Clinton pulled out a 2-1 decision in eight innings at Lady Vikes Field.
Both teams are headed to the Class 5A playoffs as runners-up, but Clinton (17-8) has some momentum while WC coach Lucy Young was left pondering her team’s lack of offensive focus.
“I don’t know. Our offense just comes and goes and lately it mostly just goes,” Young said before motioning her team back on the field for some extra batting practice. “We’re fortunate we are our good defensive team. But this was our 24th game and we still can’t hit a slow-pitch softball. So much of it is mental.”
The two teams were tied at 1 after seven innings, but Clinton had an advantage with the top of its lineup due in the eighth. A two-out error opened the door for Clinton’s Etta Lewis to score the go-ahead run. Terra Stewart sent a liner into right center that dropped in between two WC outfielders with two out. Lewis motored around to score to make it 2-1.
In the WC eighth, Tiffany Fuller reached on a two-out hit, her third of the game. Shawn Johnson followed with a single up the middle that was kicked around, allowing Fuller to try for home. The relay throw was in time to tag Fuller out at the plate to end the game.
“You’re going to run Tiffany Fuller in that situation every time,” Young said.
Clinton coach Allen Lunceford thought his team should’ve won the game in seven innings.
“We did the same error (a dropped fly ball) against Madison Central that beat us and that’s sending us on the road,” Lunceford said. “We were just lucky to catch them (WC) on an off night.
“They are a really good ballclub that comes at you both on offense and defense.”
Clinton had three hits each in the first, third and sixth innings but could only get one run to show for it. That came in the first when Emily Todd scored on a double by Stewart, who finished with two doubles and both of Clinton’s RBIs.
WC got its run in the fourth when Sissy Hearn reached on a fielder’s choice and then scored on the dropped Lady Arrow fly ball to tie the game at 1.
The Lady Vikes were held to just eight hits.
They will travel to Northwest Rankin on Tuesday in a best-of-three series in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.