Lady Falcons win game one of state championship series

By Chad Rhoad
Editor/ The Messenger
Published: May 14, 2008

DARLINGTON – The Darlington High School varsity softball team went to Midland Valley High School on Friday and defeated the team twice by scores of 8-5 and 2-0.

Those two wins gave the Lady Falcons the Lower State Championship title and a date with Upper State Champion J.L. Mann High School.

Game one of the possible three game series was in Darlington Monday night, and a huge crowd showed up to support.

And Darlington won the game 4-1.

As the game began, it became obvious this would be a pitcher’s duel.

Darlington’s Stacey Weatherford faced off against J.L. Mann’s Leslie Jury.

Neither pitcher surrendered a run for the first four innings.

However, in the bottom of the fifth inning Darlington broker it open.

Elizabeth Flowers and Cat Gainey opened the inning with singles, and Tori Norwood loaded the bases by drawing a walk.

Senior Courtney Kickery then changed the face of the game. On a 3-2 pitched, Kickery launched a ball over the centerfield wall for a good ol’ fashioned grand slam and gave the Lady Falcons a 4-0 lead.

Neither team scored in the sixth inning.

Weatherford made her only mistake of the night in the top of the seventh inning when she allowed Jury to belt a solo homer that brought the score to 4-1.
The win gives Darlington a 1-0 series lead, and the team will travel to Greenville to face J.L. Mann in game two tonight at 6 p.m.

Darlington head coach Tim Wiley was excited and relieved after the game. When asked how he felt after the win, he said, “I’ll feel better when it is all over.”

Wiley praised the determination of the team.
“They want to win,” he said. “Every game it is someone different. There are four juniors and four seniors [starting], and every game it is someone different. They don’t want to lose.”

Wiley also applauded Kickery’s home run. “It was huge. Huge.”

The coach added the pitching of Weatherford has been a staple all season long.

“Stacy’s pitching has been big all year. She’s feeling good, and that makes me confident.

Wiley said the team’s desire to win gives him confidence in the rest of the series, but he realizes the road will be difficult.

“It’s always hard to go to someone’s place and beat them,” he said, “but I feel good about it. Maybe we can get some hits and make them play defense.”

If necessary, game three will be played at a neutral location.