DeKalb Schools Softball: North Wins Over South

The North All-Stars fell behind 7-0 in the first two and half innings before rallying to defeat the South All-Stars 11-9 in the seventh annual DeKalb County Senior All-Star Softball Classic at Dunwoody on Monday.

The South took advantage of four North errors two hits and two RBIs by Southwest DeKalb’s Trenece Nash, and a RBI single by Stephenson’s Tatyana Givens to build the 7-0 advantage.

The North countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the third as Lakeside’s Susanne Boden singled and scored her first of three runs in the game due to an error and a couple of wild pitches to break into the scoring column at 7-1.

Nash, the South MVP, got the run back in the fourth as she hit the first ever homerun in the All-Star Classic, a towering shot into the trees in right-center field to make it 8-1.

The North cut the lead to 8-4 with three runs in the bottom of the fourth keyed by a two-out, RBI double by Dunwoody’s Elyse Ferguson. Trailing 9-4 in the bottom of the sixth, the North struck for four runs behind another RBI single by Ferguson, a ground out RBI by Lucy Mason of Chamblee and Boden hit the second ever homerun in All-Star history, another solo shot to right field to pull the North within 9-8.

Lakeside’s Meagan Brickhouse tied the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the seventh with a RBI single to score Jessie Bragg.

A two-run eighth put the North ahead to stay as Mason reached on an error, stole second and came in to score on a wild pitch for the 10-9 North lead. Bragg singles to score Boden with two out in the inning for the final of 11-9.

Druid Hills pitcher Ashton Salazar pitched the final four innings to get the win as she held the South scoreless over the final three as the North rallied to take the lead. Salazar struck out four and walked one in allowing just one run in the sixth as she pitched in relieve of starter Jessie Bragg of Chamblee.

Shawna Wilson of Southwest DeKalb gave up two unearned runs in taking the  loss for the South in relief of starter Shantelle Smith of Cedar Grove who went six innings.

Lakeside’s Susanne Boden was 3-4 with a double, homerun, scored three runs and had one RBI to earn the North MVP honors. Jessie Bragg was 3-5 with two runs scored, two stolen bases and one RBI while Meagan Brickhouse (Lakeside) was 2-2 with one run scored, one RBI and one stolen base and Dunwoody’s Elyse Ferguson was 2-5 with two runs scored, a double and two RBIs.

Southwest DeKalb’s Trenece Nash was 4-5 with four RBIS to set the All-Star Classic record for hits and RBIs in a game to go with her homerun, the first in seven All-Star Classics. Stephenson’s Tatyana Givens joined Nash in the multiple hit category with a 3-3 performance, three runs scored, one RBI, two walks and two stolen bases.

The North has now won two of the last three All-Star Classics to close the South’s lead in the series to 4-3. The South won last year’s game 12-11 with a 10-run rally in the eighth inning.

Former girls’ fast pitch softball coach Pat Floyd threw out the first pitch to open the game. Floyd, who coached the Tucker team from 1993 to 2002, currently holds the DeKalb County softball record in coaching victories with a 183-79 record. Her 2001 Tucker squad set a DeKalb County record for victories with a 31-4 tally on the season. Floyd stays involved in DeKalb County athletics serving as the PA announcer at the All-Star Softball Classic and working the reporting table at the DeKalb County cross country meets.

Mark Brock is the Statistician and Information Officer for DeKalb County Schools Athletics