Quitman's Big 3rd Dooms Lady Bears

RISON - For six of the seven innings last Friday, the Woodlawn Lady Bears held the Quitman Lady Bulldogs to one hit, one walk and one run. But in that one other inning the third - the Lady 'Dogs managed to churn out eight runs off three hits, four walks and two hit batters as they stopped the Lady Bears, 9-1, in the Class 2A state quarterfinals Friday afternoon at Greenland High School. "I think the nerves got to us," said Woodlawn Coach Kyle Thaxton. "I think once we win that first one (state tournament game), that's when we will really start to roll." For the second consecutive year, Woodlawn entered the tournament as the South Region's no. 1 seed. Last year, the Lady Bears dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to Melbourne. This is also the second consec-utive year that the Lady Bears took what could be considered a young team to the state tournament. Thaxton pointed out that eight of the nine starting hitters for Woodlawn are expected to return next year. This year's roster included six freshmen, six sophomores and five juniors. Woodlawn did get past the first round this year after Des Arc, the no. 4 seed from the North Region, did not have enough players to field a team and therefore had to forfeit. Lady Bear pitcher Lillie Faye McWhorter started Friday's quarterfinal game red hot, striking out five of the first six batters she faced as she retired the Lady Bulldogs in order in both the first and second innings. It looked as though that pace was going to carry over into the third as she struck out Quitman's lead-off batter to start the inning. But that's when trouble set in. The next three batters all drew walks after getting to full counts, and the Lady 'Dogs had the bases loaded with one out. The next batter was hit by a pitch to force in the first run of the game before a single by Quitman's Dakota Rhodes drove in two more to make it 3-0. Another hit batter and walk pushed another run ac...