WOODLAWN - Lillie Faye McWhorter pitched a one-hitter and Jaci Hoyt went 3-for-3 at the plate as the Woodlawn Lady Bears clinched no worse than a tie for the 8-2A conference championship Tuesday with 10-0 shutout of the Fordyce Ladybugs at Lady Bear Field.
Woodlawn improved to 12-5 overall and 8-1 in conference play with the victory. The Lady Bears have a three-game lead over Junction City (5-4), Ouachita (4-4) and Parkers Chapel (4-4) with three conference games left.
The Lady Bears are scheduled to close out league play at Rison this Friday, at Ouachita next Tuesday and at home against Junction City next Friday, April 28. A victory in any of those games gives Woodlawn the out-right 8-2A title.
Fordyce struggled to get anything going against McWhorter on Tuesday as she allowed just one hit and gave up two walks over a game that ended by the 10-run rule after the fifth inning. She struck out 11.
Woodlawn turned a lead-off single by Hoyt into a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first off an RBI hit by Anna Fitzgibbon.
The Lady Bears broke the game open in the third when Hoyt singled to start the frame and then scored on Kathryn Dixon's follow-up double.
Fitzgibbon then drove in Dixon with a single before McWhorter doubled. After the first out, Kaitlyn Webb delivered a two-run hit before she eventually scored on an error to make it 6-0.
Woodlawn would invoke the 10-run rule by adding four more runs in the fourth.
A lead-off double by Hoyt followed by a second double from Dixon made it 7-0.
The Lady Bears eventually loaded the bases after McWhorter was hit by a pitch and Webb drew a walk with two out. Kendall Tooke then singled to drive in one run and Erin West followed with another hit to make it 10–0 before the frame ended with a ground out.
McWhorter retired the Ladybugs in order in the top of the fifth to preserve the shutout and end the game.
In addition t...
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