Lady Birds Win Consolation in Paris Tournament

By Editor | October 2, 2024

By Mark Requet

The South Shelby Lady Birds traveled to Paris on Saturday, September 28, 2024, for the Paris Softball Tournament. The Lady Birds lost the first game against North Shelby, and defeated Sturgeon and Mark Twain to win consolation.

South Shelby 7

North Shelby 9

The Lady Birds matched up against North Shelby to open the tournament and lost 9-7.

The Lady Birds scored first when Sofia Eleazarraraz walked, stole second, and later scored on an RBI single by Bella Cook.

North Shelby responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run double by Emelia Flores to give the Lady Raiders a 4-1 lead after the first inning.

South Shelby loaded the bases in the top of the second inning on two walks and a hit by pitch. Cook singled to drive in two runs and the Lady Birds trailed 4-3 heading to the bottom of the second inning.

North Shelby’s Isabella Jones singled to left to drive home a run, but an error allowed another run to score to give the Lady Raiders a 6-3 lead. Jones would later score on a wild pitch to build the lead to 7-3.

Cook continued to come through for the Lady Birds in the top of the fourth inning with a two-run double to cut the deficit to 7-5. Cook would later score on an RBI groundout by Jayda Lanpher and the North Shelby lead was 7-6.

North Shelby added two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to push the lead to 9-6.

South Shelby’s final run came in the top of the fifth inning on a wild pitch.

Cook led the Lady Birds offense going 3-for-3, with a double, one run scored, and five RBIs.

Callie McWilliams pitched four innings, allowing nine runs, six earned runs, on six hits, walking four, while striking out three batters.

South Shelby 11

Sturgeon 5

In the second game of the tournament, the Lady Birds faced Sturgeon. The Lady Birds

GAME CONTINUED TO PAGE 8

won the game 11-5 in four innings.

The Lady Birds took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Eleazarraraz walked and stole second. She later scored on an error. Jayda Lanpher walked and Madison Wilt doubled to score two runs.

McWilliams hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning to score a run and give the Lady Birds a 4-0 lead.

Sturgeon got on the board with a run in the bottom of the second inning to cut the lead to 4-1.

Wilt quickly got the run back for South Shelby in the top of the third inning with a solo homerun.

South Shelby put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth inning with a six run inning.

Eleazarraraz doubled home a run, followed by an RBI single by McWilliams. Back-to-back RBI groundouts by Cook and Jayda Lanpher made the score 9-1. The final two runs scored on a two-run single by Reese Maupin.

Sturgeon scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Lady Birds won 11-5.

Wilt led the offense with two hits, including a double and homerun, and three RBIs.

McWilliams pitched one scoreless inning, striking out one batter. Kylie Million pitched three innings, allowing five runs, three earned runs, on three hits. She walke dfive and struck out three batters.

South Shelby 6

Mark Twain 3

The Lady Birds advanced to the Consolation game and defeated Mark Twain 6-3.

South Shelby took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI groundout by Cook.

Both teams were held scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Mark Twain tied the game at 1-1.

The Lady Birds broke the tie in the top of the fifth inning with a big five run inning. Rhylea Nance led off the inning with a single. Eleazarraraz singled two batters later. After a sacrifice bunt and a walk, Avery Gough scored on a passed ball, followed by a two-run double by Jayda Lanpher to give the Lady Birds a 4-1 lead. Wilt singled and Maupin followed with a two-run double to push the lead to 6-1.

Mark Twain scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Lady Birds held on 6-3 to win the Consolation plaque.

The Lady Birds, 13-7 overall and 1-2 in the Clarence Cannon Conference, hosted Centralia on Monday, September 30, host Knox County on Tuesday, October 1, and host North Shelby on Thursday, October 3. Both varsity games on Tuesday and Thursday begin at 5 p.m.

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