Sports
10A • Daily Corinthian
Local Schedule
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Lady Warriors go deep to advance
Thursday Football Thrasher @ Houlka, 7 Coldwater @ Falkner, 7 Northeast @ ICC, 7
BY H. LEE SMITH II lsmith@dailycorinthian.com
Friday Football Itawamba @ Corinth, 7 (WXRZ) Kossuth @ Central, 7 Biggersville @ Hamilton, 7 Mooreville @ Booneville, 7 Walnut @ New Site, 7 Tish County @ Pontotoc, 7 East Union @ Baldwyn, 7 North Pontotoc @ Belmont, 7 Ripley @ Rosa Fort, 7
Saturday Cross Country Corinth Invitational, 9 a.m.
HOUSTON — Corinth clubbed five homers in Game 3 as the Lady Warriors rallied from a 1-0 deficit to get past Houston in the opening round of the Class 4A SlowPitch Softball State Playoffs. Katie Vandiver and Rebekah Williams each went deep twice and combined for 12 RBI as the defending champions advanced with a 14-10 decision in the decisive game. Vandiver, who had a grand slam among her two circuit shots, drove in seven runs in the finale. Williams added five and Colby Cox, who added the fifth long ball, provided the club’s other RBI.
Corinth (21-7) led 5-0 after one-half inning. Houston, the Division 2 champions, fought back to tie the game at 8-8 after four and led 9-8 with two innings to play. Backed by the long ball, Corinth scored six runs in its final two at-bats. Houston outhit Corinth 1816 in the finale, but 16 of those were singles. After committing six miscues in the first two games, Corinth played error free ball in Game 3. • Corinth fell in a quick hole of the best-of-3, oneday series, falling 11-1 in five innings. The Lady Warriors managed just three hits -- all singles. • The Lady Warriors woke up in the first of two must-win
games, using a big second inning to prevail 9-2. Corinth got eight runs in the second, highlighted by Jamia Kirk’s grand slam. Anna Kayte Webb had two of Corinth’s eight hits and was one of five Lady Warriors to plate a run. Round Two is set for Saturday. Corinth matches up with the Kosciusko-Rosa Fort winner.
Houston 11, Corinth 1 Game 1 @ Houston Corinth 100 00 - 1 3 4 Houston 400 43 - 11 13 0 WP: Madeline Burdine. LP: Allie Jacobs. Multiple Hits: (C) None. (H) Quaneshia Pratt 3, Burdine 2, Mary Kansas Sullivan 2, Talaja Echoles 2. HR: (H) Echoles, Pratt.
Corinth 9, Houston 2 Game 2 Houston 000 002 0 -- 2 6 3 Corinth 080 100 x -- 9 8 2 WP: Allie Jacobs. LP: Madeline Burdine. Multiple Hits: (H) Talaja Echoles 2, Quaneshia Pratt 2. (C) Anna Kayte Webb 2. 2B: (C) Katie Vandiver, Che Curlee. HR: (C) Jamia Kirk.
Corinth 14, Houston 10 Game 3 Corinth 500 302 4 -- 14 16 0 Houston 241 110 1 -- 10 18 8 WP: Allie Jacobs. LP: Chelsea Gates. Multiple Hits: (C) Jamia Kirk 4, Rebekah Williams 4, Katie Vandiver 2, Tatiana Selmon 2. (H) Gates 4, Lexie Doss 3, Talaja Echoles 2, Madeline Burdine 2, Quaneshia Pratt 2, Taylor Lancaster 2. 2B: (H) Lancaster. HR: (C) Vandiver 2, Williams 2, Colby Cox. (H) Echoles.
Shorts Drewry Celebration Former Blue Devil Players, managers, cheerleaders, band members and fans of Booneville High School along with former players and friends from his days at Kossuth High School are invited to the Blue Devil celebration honoring Coach Jim Drewry and family. The celebration is to be before the Mooreville home game, on October 18. Celebration starts at 4:30 pm in the Booneville High School commons area, just across from the stadium field. There will be a meet and greet and then an on-field gathering before the ballgame. There is to be an aftergame get together at the Booneville City Park Community Center, just blocks away. Please join us in honoring Coach, Edna and family and seeing old friends.
Night Tennis Come and play a little community tennis every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Corinth City Park Wear your tennis shoes, bring your racquet, tennis balls, and expect a great time. If you can’t make it on Tuesdays, come on Saturdays for a little “tag team” tennis at 1 p.m.
50/50 Tickets The Kossuth Athletic Booster Club will be having a 50/50 fundraiser. Tickets for the fundraiser are $100 each and only three hundred tickets will be sold. Every 50th ticket drawn will receive $1,000 and the final ticket will win $10,000 if all tickets are sold. Tickets may be purchased from any booster club member or at home football games. The drawing will be held at the last regular season home game on October 25 and you do not have to be present to win. All proceeds go to benefit all sports programs at Kossuth High School. Please contact Jeff Bobo at 6652858 or Christy Dickson 665-2179 to purchase tickets.
Detroit’s Suh faces potential NFL discipline The Associated Press
DETROIT — Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is facing potential discipline from the NFL. The league is reviewing Suh’s play against Cleveland. Suh led with his helmet when he hit Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden after he threw a pass in Sunday’s game. The hit that wasn’t penalized was shown on a video posted on NFL. com on Tuesday as vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said, “Why don’t we look at it some more?” in the league’s officiating command center. Suh was fined $100,000 for an illegal block on Minnesota Vikings center John Sullivan during an interception return in Week 1. He lost an appeal last week, upholding the largest fine in NFL history for on-field conduct, not including money lost by players due to suspension.
Submitted Photo
Cross-Country The Kossuth Cross Country program swept all four divisions Saturday at the New Site Invitational. It was the first such championship this year for the Lady Aggies. Watch this week for results from this race and Corinth’s participation in the South Pontotoc Invitational.
LSU gaining steam again, Ole Miss next The Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU coach Les Miles always says he wants his team playing its best at “the back end” of the season, and hopes his Tigers are on that track. For the second straight season, LSU put its back to the wall with a Southeastern Conference road loss in October. And like last year, the Tigers have responded well through the middle of their schedule. Now only one SEC contest — at Mississippi this weekend — stands between sixth-ranked LSU and an SEC West driver’s-seat matchup with No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 9. The key now for LSU is to not get caught overlooking
the struggling Rebels, who are banged up and have lost three straight, but whose last two losses came by a combined 11 points. “Any time you line up against the Ole Miss team, there’s tradition and history,” Miles said. “It’s just more important. (Billy) Cannon’s great run on Halloween (in 1959) and Odell Beckham’s fourth-quarter punt return a year ago — just a number of exciting finishes to a longstanding rivalry.” LSU has won six of the eight meetings with Ole Miss, but half of those victories were by seven points or less. Last season, the Tigers had to rally for a 41-35 victory against Ole
Miss. A year ago, the Tigers lost at Florida in October, but rebounded to set up a clash with Alabama for first place in the SEC Western Division. The Tigers fell to the eventual national champion Crimson Tide 21-17 on a last-minute touchdown. Three weekends ago, LSU dropped a 44-41 shootout at Georgia, leaving the Tigers virtually no margin for error if it wanted to catch Alabama for the SEC West title without any help. Since then, LSU has registered a 59-26 rout of Mississippi State and a 17-6 triumph over Florida. “The personality of our football team is one where
they are ambitious,” Miles said. “They are looking to the future and this week it’s all about Ole Miss.” The defense has numerous young players. Four sophomores are in the starting lineup — end Danielle Hunter, linebacker Kwon Alexander, cornerback Jalen Mills and safety Corey Thompson. Freshman Tre’Davious White starts at cornerback, while freshman Rashard Robinson plays in the nickel package. After allowing 88 points in a span of eight quarters — the second half against Auburn, the Georgia game and the first half at Mississippi State — the Please see REBELS | 11A
SEC picks Nashville for men’s basketball site The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Southeastern Conference fans wanted the league to hold its men’s tournaments in a basketball arena, and now they’re getting their wish. Commissioner Mike Slive announced Tuesday that the SEC has made Nashville its primary home for the men’s tournament with the league holding nine of its championships in Music City through 2026. There will also be three women’s conference tournaments held in Nashville during that time. “Our fans have made it clear to us they prefer a basketball arena, and so then it’s
a question of where,” Slive said. “And we’ve had good experience here, and it’s easy for our fans. You can get to the arena. You can stay in a hotel. You can go eat. And you can go listen to music and you only have to walk. In some ways, it’s a perfect storm here.” Slive announced a deal with the Nashville Sports Council to hold nine men’s tournaments in Music City in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The deal also includes dates for three women’s tournaments in 2018, 2022 and 2026. “We look forward to a long
and mutually beneficial relationship with the city of Nashville,” Slive said. The SEC’s athletic directors voted in May to pick a primary site for the men’s basketball tournament following up on the league’s success with other sports. The Georgia Dome has hosted the league’s football championship since 1994 and Hoover, Ala., has hosted the baseball tournament the past 16 years. Nashville had the benefit of having hosted the men’s tournament in March at the Bridgestone Arena, home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Nashville also hosted the men’s tournament in
2001, 2006, 2010 and 2013, along with five women’s tournaments between 2002 and 2012. “This is a huge deal,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said. The SEC still has to pick a host city for the men’s tournament in 2018 and 2022. Slive said that announcement should be coming soon. Atlanta has hosted the SEC tournament 13 times dating back to the inaugural event in 1933 with the last eight being held in the Georgia Dome. Bridgestone Arena has a much cozier atmosphere with a capacity of 18,160 for basPlease see SEC | 11A
Boston holds off Tigers behind Lackey, bullpen to take 2-1 lead on Detroit The Associated Press
DETROIT — Once again this October, one run was enough. The Boston Red Sox scored it — and now they lead an AL championship series that seemed to be slipping away last week-
end. John Lackey edged Justin Verlander in the latest duel of these pitching-rich playoffs, and Boston’s bullpen shut down Detroit’s big boppers with the game on the line to lift the Red Sox over the Tigers
1-0 Tuesday for a 2-1 advantage in the ALCS. Mike Napoli homered off Verlander in the seventh inning, and Detroit’s best chance to rally fell short in the eighth when Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder struck out with
runners at the corners. “This game had the feel it was going to be won or lost on one pitch,” Boston reliever Craig Breslow said. “Lackey kept us in the game. Every inning where he was able to throw up a zero gave us a lift.”
Despite three straight gems by their starters, the Tigers suddenly trail in a best-of-seven series they initially appeared to control. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Comerica Park, with Jake Peavy scheduled to start for the Red Sox
against Doug Fister. Peavy set the tone Tuesday during a pregame news conference, when he sounded miffed that so much of the attention was focused on Verlander bePlease see ALCS | 11A