Lady Green Wave goes 4-0 in MH tournament

By Brad Greer

The North Delta Lady Green Wave got the 2010 softball season off to blazing start by winning four games over the weekend in the Magnolia Heights Tournament. North Delta, the defending North AA State champions from a year ago, kicked off the six-team tournament Friday with a 12-1 romp over Clarksdale Lee followed by a 5-0 blanking of Delta Academy.

With temperatures reaching a sizzling 102 degrees, the Lady Wave returned to the diamond Saturday afternoon to square off against Lee, Ark. and Marvell, Ark.. Led by senior Vicki Johnson’s leadoff inside-the-park homerun in the first inning, North Delta eased past Lee 10-1 in the first game then held off a late charge by Marvell to take a 7-5 victory in the second game.

Peyton Rico towed the rubber for North Delta in the first game against Lee and came away with a four-inning complete game victory. The freshmen right-hander gave up three hits while walking two and striking out one batter. Rico also pitched two innings of relief work against Marvell to record the save.

North Delta, (4-0), gave Rico plenty of run support by plating four runs in the top of the first inning followed by a six-run third to put the game away. Johnson led off the game by blasting a liner over the right fielders’ head that resulted in a home run. Later in the third inning, Johnson drilled a shot deep into center field for a  triple, but as the Lee third baseman bobbled the relay throw, the speedy Johnson never broke stride and raced home standing up to make the score 5-0.

Julianna Morrow followed Johnson in the first with a infield single then later scored on a wild pitch. After Bradi Beard singled and Maribeth Johns was hit by a pitch, Laci Dubravec blasted a two-run double into center that scored Beard and Johns for a 4-0 Green Wave lead.

Two innings later, the Green Wave rapped out seven hits while sending nine batters to the plate in a big six-run third. Hastings Neal added the first of six straight singles in the inning that produced five runs. Beard and Erin Snider followed with RBI singles while Johns and DuBravec added singles. Rico helped her own cause by laying down a bunt single that scored Johns from third to push the lead to 8-0. Jordan Pullen followed with a RBI groundout chased home courtesy runner Hannah Heafner from third base.

DuBravec, Johnson and Beard registered two hits as the Green Wave pounded out 11 hits in the game. Providing singles in the victory were Morrow, Neal, Snider, Johns and Rico.

The second game of the day so more of the same from the North Delta offense as the Wave used a five-run second inning to hold on for the win. Beard led off the rally by reaching on an error followed by Snider’s infield single. After DuBravec loaded the bases on an error, pinch-runner Anna Lloyd steal of home made the score 3-0. Mary Jane Morrow kept the inning going with a run-producing double that scored Pullen who had an earlier single in the inning. Julianna Morrow then added a two-out infield single to drive in Hannah Waldrip from third for a 5-0 advantage.

After Marvell got on the board with single run in the bottom of the second, North delta increased their lead to 7-1 in the fourth as Rico led off the inning with a single and later came home on Julianna Morrow’s groundout and Neal’s RBI single that scored Johnson.

Marvell made things interesting in the bottom of the fourth by scoring four runs on five walks and one hit, but Rico slammed the door on the rally by striking out a batter with the bases loaded to end the game. Mary Jane Morrow picked up the pitching win by going two innings.

The Lady Green Wave got the tournament started by downing Clarksdale-Lee 12-1. North Delta scored one run in the first inning, three in the second, and four each in the third and fourth innings. Freshman Erin Snider led at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs (runs batted in).

Against Delta Academy in the second game Friday, Vicky Johnson gave the team a boost with her triple to center field in the fourth inning which turned into a score when the Delta first baseman overthrew third and allowed Johnson to go home.

The Lady Green Wave led 2-0 in the second inning after Laci Dubrave scored on a Johnson single RBI. Mary Jane Morrow scored on a single RBI by sister Julianna.

In the fourth inning, DuBravec scored again on a squeeze play after she had singled to get on base. After Johnson’s scored, Julianna Morrow scored on a Hastings Neal single RBI to close out the scoring.

North Delta opened the home slate Monday by hosting Bayou Academy. The Lady Green Wave will participate in the Kirk Academy tournament Friday and Saturday in Grenada.