By Myra Bean

The end of North Delta’s fastpitch state championship run came down to a controversial call by the official.

North Delta faced Leake Academy in the loser’s bracket of the state championship held at Liberty Park in Flowood Saturday afternoon.

Leake’s Kelsey Harvey was credited with a three-run homer when North Delta left fielder Morgan Lawrence and center fielder Vikki Johnson signaled a ground-rule double. With a player on third and a player on first, Leake would have gotten credit for one-run on that play with runners at second and third. The official said the ball went over makeshift fence but Lawrence and Johnson said the ball rolled under the fence. The official refused to change his call.

That put North Delta in a 4-0 hole. Leake’s first run in the top of the first inning was also surrounded in controversy. Instead of an out at first base, Leake’s Haley Allen was called safe. The official was in between first and second and made the call and was not on the first base line. On a double by Peoples, Allen scored the first run of the game.

The Lady Green Wave started to dig themselves out of the hole, but the time expired and at the end of the fifth inning, the Lady Green Wave was still one run behind and lost their second game of the day 4-3. North Delta defeated Leake Academy twice in the North Half Championship tournament to claim the North title.

The Lady Green Wave got on the board in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run single by Vikki Johnson to right-center. Mary Jane Morrow and Linsey Hebert scored on the single. Morrow walked to get on base. Hebert hit a single to advance Morrow to second. Johnson stole second and third but was not able to get the run in.

In the bottom of the fifth, Morrow walked again to get on base. Hastings Neal came on as a courtesy runner. A sacrifice fly by Bradi Beard to right field drove Morrow home from third base to score and bring the Lady Green Wave within one. With two runners on base, the last two Green Wave batters hit pop flies and thus the game ended.

Morrow started on the mound for the Lady Wave and got the loss. Samantha Massoth came on in relief in the second inning. Morrow gave up four hits, one walk and allowed four runs. Massoth gave up three hits, no walks, no runs and had one strikeout.

Hitting for the Lady Wave were, Johnson, 3-for-3 with two RBIs (runs batted in) and Hebert, 1-for-3.

In the morning game against Bowling Green, La., it was a total defensive battle for both teams. The game was scoreless going into the top of the seventh inning. Both teams had hits going into the seventh inning, North Delta four and Bowlilng Green two. But, it was the seventh inning where Bowling Green had four hits and two runs to take the lead and shut North Delta down in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

Massoth pitched the complete game for the loss. She faced 27 batters, striking out six, allowing six hits, two earned runs and two walks.

The Lady Green Wave ended the season 23-7.