By SHELIA MADER
Published: April 26, 2008

The Sneads Lady Pirates softball team moved one step closer to a trip to the state tournament with a 5-3 win over the Cottondale Lady Hornets Friday night in Sneads.

The district championship rematch occurred when the Lady Hornets went on the road as district runners-up and defeated Baker.

The Lady Pirates sent their ace, Karissa Childs, to the mound who threw all seven innings.

Cottondale scored one run in the top of the first inning when Dickens reached first safely on a bunt and stole second. Liz Krauzer took advantage of a Lady Pirate error that put her at first and Dickens crossing the plate.

The Lady Pirates countered with a three-run first inning. Krauzer was on the mound for the Lady Hornets. Kayla Kelly singled and moved to third on a single by Kali Pringle. Samantha Culpepper had an RBI single that scored Kelly and Kayla Rabon singled to score Culpepper.

Megan Smith brought in the last run of the inning on a single.

Both teams remained scoreless in the second inning.

In the top of the third inning, Pittman drew a walk and moved to second on a passed ball. Bassin reached on an error that scored Pittman to make it a 3-2 ballgame.

The Lady Pirates answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning when Culpepper tripled and scored on a single by Rabon.
Cottondale was silent in the fourth and fifth inning as was Sneads in the fourth. The bottom of the fifth plated the Lady Pirates final run. Smith doubled and stole her way home.

Cottondale would rally in the sixth inning with one run. Krauzer was issued a walk and scored when Davis reached on an error but the rally fell short by two.
The loss ended Cottondale’s season. The wins advances Sneads to the Regional finals on Tuesday night when they host Wewa. The Wewa Lady Gators come in with a 23-2 record.

The Friday night win puts Sneads at 14-11 on the season. The semi final game was costly for both the Lady Hornets and the Lady Pirates. Cottondale’s Bassin was taken off the field in the third inning and transported to a local hospital with what was believed to be a foot injury. The extent of that injury was not known at press time.

The Lady Pirates will have to continue their run at the state tournament without Pringle who left the game with a hamstring injury and is not expected to return this season.

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