CALEDONIA — Alex Burns wasn’t going to lower her head after the Caledonia High School fast-pitch softball team made one mistake.
Hope Burton shared the sentiment and knew she had to forget the error and do her job if Caledonia was going to recapture the momentum.
The Lady Confederates accomplished that goal is rousing fashion.
After an error in the top of the first inning helped Cleveland score three runs, Caledonia responded with five hits in a six-run outburst in the bottom half of the inning that propelled it to a 13-5 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A playoff series.
Caledonia (14-7) will try to wrap up the series in Game 2 at 5:30 p.m. today in Cleveland. If needed, teams will play Game 3 approximately 30 minutes after the first game.
Gracie McCleskey had a triple, Makayla Taylor had a double, Burton, and Lauren Duckworth, and Burns had singles to fuel the attack. The Lady Wildcats (12-7) also committed two errors that enabled the Lady Confederates to send 10 batters to the plate against starting pitcher Bree Garner.
The uprising helped erase the memory of the top of first, when Burns couldn’t handle a throw from Burton, the pitcher, on an attempted force play at third base. The throw after Burton fielded a comebacker off the bat of Morgan Ray went off Burns’ glove and rolled to the fence. After a walk, AP Hackney’s two-run double gave Cleveland an early cushion.
“We have gotten really good at keeping our heads up, so errors like that we just have to swipe off and keep our focus on the game,” said Burns, one of three seniors on the team. “We have been really strong this year keeping our heads up in the game whether we are down or whatever. We have done really well with that this year.”
Burns said the team has used the slogan “tear the roof off” to remind the players to support each other through the ups and downs in a game. The saying comes from Mark 2:4 in which four men tear the roof off of a house to lower a paralyzed man inside so he can meet Jesus. She said she knew she, Burton, and classmate Nicole Kifer have to re-assure their teammates that it is OK if someone makes a mistake and that it is crucial for everyone to put it behind them and take care of business.
Burns made sure she did her part by smacking a two-run home run, her second of the season, in the third. The blast scored Stephanie Wilkes, who had singled, and gave the Lady Confederates a three-run lead after the Lady Wildcats inched closer with two runs in the top of the second.
Burns said she doesn’t have a sense when she makes solid contact to hit a home run. She smiled and said, “I am just praying the whole time, and the Lord just leads my bat.” The home run was part of a three-hit night for Burns, who paced a 14-hit attack.
“We have hit the ball great,” Burns said. “This year has been the best year we have hit. That used to be our downfall, but this year we have gotten so much better at it.”
Hope Harbin, who celebrated her 15th birthday Monday, Burton, and Wilkes had two hits, as eight starters had at least one hit. The offensive explosion backed Burton, who allowed only five hits. She worked through five walks and struck out two in a complete-game effort.
Burton surrendered only two hits in the final five innings. She struck out Hackney to escape a jam in the sixth after a throwing error put two runners in scoring position. The scoreless half inning helped shut the door following Caledonia’s four-run fifth.
Burton said the play in the first inning motivated her to throw more strikes so she could get ahead in counts and put herself in better position to help her team. Little did she know that everyone was going to rise up and help the Lady Confederates re-take the momentum.
“I didn’t think it was going to come that quickly, but I knew it was going to come because our team is doing so great with hitting,” Burton said. “They have been doing well with not putting our heads down. We like to focus and do our best to come out on top.”
Caledonia coach Robin Elmore said the team’s hitting is a result of a lot of work in the batting cages, off the Iron Mike pitching machine, or off live practice pitching, usually from assistant coach Devon Downey. Elmore hoped the Lady Confederates could find a way to get out of the top of the first because she knew the team’s offense could help it re-gain its confidence. The result was even more than she expected.
“There couldn’t be a better illustration of tear the roof off because no matter how bad it has gotten they have never gotten down,” Elmore said. “They have stayed up and they believe. Every game, just like I told then, that is part one. Part two is coming (today). I can’t tell you how proud I am of the chemistry and unity of the team.”
n New Hope 11, Vicksburg 9: At Vicksburg, Savannah Britt had three hits and five RBIs Monday to lead the Lady Trojans in Game 1 of their Class 5A best-of-three playoff series.
Game 2 will be at 4 p.m. today in Columbus. The if-needed game will follow approximately 30 minutes after Game 2.
Lanora Abrams had two hits and two RBIs, while Kelsey Gerhart had two hits. Brittni Beard allowed only five hits in a complete-game effort. New Hope had 14 hits to help it offset six errors.
The winner of the series will play the winner of the series between two-time reigning state champion Neshoba Central and Lake Cormorant. That series is scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
n In other prep games Monday, the Hamilton High baseball team defeated Pine Grove 8-4 in Game 3 of its best-of-three Class 1A playoff series to win the series. Hamilton will advance to play St. Joe’s today.
The Hamilton High fast-pitch softball team defeated Ingomar 13-9 in Game 1 of its Class 1A best-of-three playoff series. It will play Game 2 at 5:30 today.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.