Vicksburg High wins a prep softball nail-biter|Warren Central rips St. Aloyisus with eight-run fifth

Published 12:00 am Saturday, February 28, 2009

Vicksburg ace Kristi Shelby felt the pressure as she had only a one-run lead to work with and runners on the corners in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a costly error.

Shelby finished off the side with a strikeout and a smile, giving Vicksburg its second win in a row as the Missy Gators clipped Greenville-St. Joe 1-0 in the opening game of the Warren Central Invitational on Friday.

“I didn’t really worry about the runners, but the out,” Shelby said.

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Shelby finished with eight strikeouts in a two-hit gem and worked all her pitches well with no walks.

“She’s a senior and she maintained her composure,” VHS coach Amanda Yocum said. “She kept her fastball going on the batters who weren’t getting around on it in the bottom of their lineup and she mixed in her drop and her curve on those at the top of the lineup. She’s a smart pitcher and she did what we expected her to do.”

While the hits were not exactly plentiful, the Missy Gators (2-4) cashed in when they needed to.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth and the contest still scoreless, No. 9 hitter Brittany King lasered a line drive through the gap to give the Missy Gators their first base runner in four innings. Next batter Claire Ray reached on a throwing error at first and the Lady Irish compounded the mistake as King rounded second and headed to third.

The throw sailed high over third base and King sprinted home for the game’s lone run.

The game was a tight one throughout as Greenville pitcher Miller Maddox and Shelby battled in a classic pitcher’s duel. Maddox took the loss with 12 strikeouts and gave up only two hits.

While it was a win, Yocum is still waiting for her offense to work counts and get into any offensive rhythm.

 “It’s a confidence booster, Yocum said of the win. “But we’ve got a lot of work to do at the plate and that’s where we’re losing ball games.”

WC 9, St. Aloysius 1

It was a 1-1 game through four innings in the nightcap that pitted a pair of county rivals.

But, the wheels fell off the wagon for the Lady Flashes’ defense, as the Lady Vikes (6-3) ripped them with an eight-run fifth inning, courtesy of some clutch hitting and four costly errors.

“They got a little frustrated and they started making some errors,” WC coach Dana McGivney said. “We just kept the pressure on them and that’s what you have to do.”

Katie Busby and Kaitlyn Patton had RBI singles in the frame, while Mandy Fuller drove in two runs off another single. The rest came from St. Al errors.

Andi Hearn earned the win with a complete-game three-hitter and seven strikeouts. Sarah Franco took the loss for the Lady Flashes (6-1), striking out eight.

Mallory McGuffee drove in the lone run for the Lady Flashes with an RBI single.

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Contact Steve Wilson at swilson@vicksburgpost.com.