Lady Eagles win Bi-district
Rusk sweeps Fairfield in 3 game championship series
BY LELAND ACKER

Rusk freshman short stop Alison Bowling steals 2nd base during game one of the Bi-district championship series between Rusk and Fairfield. Rusk will face Rockdale in the Area championship game at 5 p.m., Friday, May 4, in Fairfield. PHOTO: LYNN LITTLEJOHN

The Rusk Lady Eagles cruised by Fairfield in two games to win the best-of-three Bi-district championship series. Rusk advances to the Area championship game against Rockdale Friday.

Game-one, played Thursday, was a defensive victory for Rusk as they held Fairfield to two hits, one earned run and allowed only three runners to get on base. Rusk won the game 3-1.

Pitcher Callie Collins struck out 12 batters while centerfielder Jeri Hill made two key catches. The Rusk infield also played well, with Sierra Smith catching a fly-ball and making a throw to 1st base. Rachel Hicks, Alison Bowling, Hillary Hugghins and Collins also made good fielding plays. Catcher Kristen Joyner tagged out a would-be Fairfield score in the top of the 1st inning.

From the plate, Hugghins led the way going 2-3. Cami Curtis (1-3) and Bowling scored in the 1st inning, with Curtis getting on base with a single and Bowling getting on base by being hit by a pitch. Calah Clark added a run in the 4th inning after being walked.

Other hitters for Rusk include Collins (1-3), who had two RBIs when she batted in Curtis and Bowling in the 1st inning, Hill (1-3), Hicks (1-3), Smith (1-3) and Joyner (1-3). Bowling is also credited with a stolen base during the 1st inning.

Game-two, played Friday afternoon in Fairfield, had a little more action, as Rusk took the victory by a score of 9-1. There was a controversial call in the 1st inning which kept a Fairfield uprising going.

The call happened when Fairfield catcher Ariel Campbell attempted to reach 1st on a pass ball. There was confusion as to whether she was walked on balls, or if the pitch was strike-three and dropped, or whether she was tagged at all. When the conference between coach Rick Frauenberger of Rusk, and the officiating crew was completed, Fairfield had runners on the corners with two outs.

When the next batter stepped up to the plate, centerfielder Shelby Bayless of Fairfield scored the only run for their Lady Eagles.

The score was 2-1 in favor of Rusk after one inning of play. Back in the top of the first, Curtis and Clark both scored on hits by Collins and Hugghins. Hugghins' double in the 1st batted in Clark.

Rusk got a quick start in the 2nd inning when Bowling hit a double and Joyner hit a single. They stalled, however, when two fly-balls were caught and Smith hit a grounder to 2nd.

Meanwhile, Collins struck out all three Fairfield batters in the bottom of the 2nd.

The Rusk offense heated up in the top of the 5th inning when Bowling took a base on balls. Curtis followed with a single and Smith added a double to up the score to 4-1.

Smith worked her way to 3rd before being batted in by Clark, who also scored.

The momentum continued into the 6th inning when Joyner hit a single, followed by Hill. Bowling then slammed a double into centerfield, later scoring when Smith hit a double.

Collins threw 12 strikeouts and hit 1-3 from the plate with one RBI and one sacrifice.

Other hitters for Rusk in- clude Bowling (3-4, one walk, one double, two runs) Hill (2- 3, one run), Smith (2-4, two doubles, one run), Clark (2-4, one double, two runs), Joyner (2-4, one double, one run), Curtis (2-4, two runs) and Hugghins (1-4, one double, one RBI).

Coach Frauenberger said the Lady Eagles performed better in game two.

"We did a better job of staying back and making them throw strikes and then swinging at the strikes," he said. "We did better at hitting spots and making the play when they put the ball in play." Rusk will return to Fairfield to face the Rockdale Lady Tigers in the Area championship game on Friday, with the first pitch being thrown at 5 p.m.

Rockdale is 19-10 on the season and are the champions of District 18-AAA with a 7-1 record.

Prior to their one district loss, Rockdale had enjoyed a 32-game district winning streak.

Rockdale, ranked 20th in the state, is led by Kaitlynne Schnerr. The junior clean-up hitter is batting at .395 this seasin with 33 RBIs and 11 steals.

She is followed by freshman lead-off hitter Kassie Roddam, who bats .393, 33 runs, 37 hits and 13 stolen bases.

Sammie Meyer is Rockdale's starting pitcher with a 13-6 record, 2.41 ERA. She is also a .338 hitter with 10 doubles.