Professional Association of Southern Softball

[StLee]

MVP Candidate: Lyndon Hankins, RF, Myrtle Beach


The Gulf Coast Softball Association (GCSA) has only had one player hit more home runs than games played, Lyndon Hankins.

The Albany, Georgia, native never played a game of college baseball. That’s because his passion in high school was basketball. The former Kennesaw State University guard helped lead the Owls to a Division II national championship in 2004 during his senior year. He played for Kennesaw State from 2001-2004.

Hankins’ transition from a college basketball player to a professional softball player is not a unique one for athletes making the transition from one sport to another. Hankins was a three-sport star at Monroe High School in Albany. He was a starting wide receiver in football, starting guard in basketball, and starting center fielder in baseball.

“It’s no mystery how I was voted most popular in my senior class,” Hankins said with a laugh.

Hankins exudes confidence. In the GCSA, he played right field for the Freedmont and Murray Law Pumas. There he was a two-time MVP of the GCSA and three-time Best Defender winner.

“Softball felt natural, kind of easy,” Hankins said. “I was working for a shipping company, and we had a company picnic day. And we played a pickup game. I was dominating so much that they asked me to sit down. After that, I saw an advertisement in the paper for a tryout for the Pumas, and I went with it.”

From there, Hankins made the Pumas and soon became their star. That led to his chance in the Professional Association of Southern Softball (PASS).

“They told us that some companies were buying all of the teams in our league and forming a bigger league with teams all around the South. I was one of the people chosen as a representative of our league to play, but I still had to try out to make it.”

In the try out, Hankins stood out with his ability to drive the ball to the gaps and over the fence.

“Yeah, the try out was easy. They just had us swinging the bat in batting practice at first. There were a lot of pretty pitches.”

Now Hankins gets an opportunity to emerge as a star in the PASS. So far in the 2012 season, his home run totals have not shown, but he is hitting well. He is batting .515 (17 for 33) through seven games with a double, triple, and home run, to go with 6 RBI and 7 runs scored.

He should be fun to watch with the Myrtle Beach Dolphins, and he should be in talks for top honors when the season ends.

[StLee]

Weekly Standings:

[StLee]

May 8, 2012

Featured Game of the Day:


In a thrilling finish, the Savannah Spikes beat Atlanta 10-7 thanks to Kent Powell’s walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Savannah now moves to 3-5 on the season, while the Arrows fall to 5-3.

Atlanta got the scoring started in the first. After an Anthony Barlow single, Craig Carter doubled him in, followed by an RBI single by Ryan Rogers for a 2-0 Arrows lead.

The Spikes answered in the bottom of the second. Garry Ward hit a one-out triple, followed by a Horace Wiley single. Keith White then tripled to tie the game 2-2. With two outs, Jeff Williams singled to score White.

Savannah added two more in the third. John McLean singled and Ward doubled him in. Ward later scored on a Joe Jones error. That gave the Spikes a 5-2 lead.

Atlanta worked to tie the game in the fifth. The Arrows scored one in the fourth on an RBI ground out by Lee Everhart. In the fifth, Atlanta added two more. Ted Avery singled in Carter and Frank McCoy singled in Jones to make it 5-5 going to the bottom of the inning.

The Spikes answered with a run of their own to retake the lead, 6-5. Singles by Greg Barnes, Wiley, and White scored Barnes.

It was Atlanta’s turn to answer in the sixth. With two outs, Barlow and Carter each doubled to tie the game, 6-6.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Spikes again answered. Jones committed another error, allowing Williams to reach. Two batters later, White singled him in for the 7-6 lead.

Atlanta made one more charge in the eighth inning. McCoy doubled to lead off the inning and then scored on a McLean error to tie the game 7-7.

In the bottom of the ninth, Powell earned hero status. Ward led off with a single, and White singled with one out. That was when Powell connected on a shot to left field for the 10-7 Savannah win.

“For whatever reason, the pitcher for Atlanta left the ball over the plate and in,” Powell said. “I turned on it, and it was gone.”

Most Outstanding Players of the Game:

Kent Powell, 2-5, Walk-off HR, 3 RBI, R
Frank McCoy, Atlanta, 4-4, 2 2B, RBI, R, BB
Craig Carter, Atlanta, 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Garry Ward, Savannah, 3-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, 3 R

[StLee]

PASS Results, May 8, 2012:

Richmond 6 at Myrtle Beach 2
Austin 13 at Miami 8
Houston 20 at Orlando 1
New Orleans 16 at Louisville 9
Dallas 6 at Charlotte 10
Birmingham 12 at Tampa 5
Shreveport 6 at Mobile 4
Memphis 12 at Little Rock 10
Raleigh 17 at Jackson 10
Jacksonville 8 at Baton Rouge 13
Virginia Beach 4 at Nashville 6

[StLee]

PASS Players of the Day, May 8, 2012:

Hugh Franklin, New Orleans, 2-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, BB


Doug Roberts, Raleigh, 5-5, 5 RBI, 3 R


Lindsay Wilson, Little Rock, 5-6, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R

[StLee]

Reactions Around the League, May 8, 2012:

Houston’s Evan Guerehan: “Twenty runs is fun. Especially after we faltered against Orlando just one day ago, it was nice to keep the pedal to the metal in the game.” Reacting to Houston’s 20-1 win over Orlando a day after losing their first game of the season. Guerehan was the game’s MVP, going 5-6, with three doubles, three RBI, and a run scored.

New Orleans’ Hugh Franklin: “Today felt like Christmas. Any day where you get multiple home runs and your team wins, you feel like it’s Christmas. I got my two front teeth today.” Reacting to New Orleans’ 16-9 win over Louisville. Franklin hit two three-run homers in the game and earned game and league player of the day honors.

[StLee]

May 9, 2012

Featured Game: Miami at Jacksonville


Miami held on for an 8-7 win over Jacksonville in a divisional matchup.

The Whales (5-4) were led by game MVP Dan Hinkle, who finished 2 for 4 with a home run, 4 RBI and 2 runs.

“We had a tough one on the road today,” Hinkle, who is the player-coach for the Whales, said. “However, we did what we had to do. Jacksonville was a tough team to score on today, but we found a way. That first inning homer most certainly helped!”

Hinkle hit his only home run of the game in the top of the first. Miami had two on following singles by Ronald Boucher and Rafael Padilla before Hinkle’s dinger.

The Buzzards (4-5) found a way to answer in the second. With one out, Mark Underwood singled and R.J. Harper doubled. Mike Carpenter then singled in Underwood. Harper then scored when John Lutz reached on an error. With two outs, Bob Holmes hit a three-run home run to give Jacksonville a 5-3 lead.

Miami cut into the lead with a run in the third. Joseph D’Abrichecourt hit a one-out triple, and Hinkle followed with an RBI ground out, his fourth RBI of the game.

Jacksonville added another run in the fifth. Following singles by Lou Whittier and Underwood, Harper hit an RBI single for the 6-4 lead.

The Whales answered right away in the sixth. Andrew Vaughn doubled, followed by a Hoyt Price single. Pedro Marino then hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to make it 6-5.

Miami then tied the game in the eighth inning. Price hit a one-out double and then advanced on a ground out. Rory Cooke then singled Price home for a 6-6 tie heading into the ninth.

In the top of the inning, the Whales took the lead. With one out and a runner on, Hinkle singled. Vaughn then hit an RBI single to drive in D’Abrichecourt. With two outs, Marino singled in Hinkle for the 8-6 lead.

The Buzzards tried to answer in the bottom of the ninth but fell just short with the winning runs on. To lead off the inning, Stan Herring, Holmes, and Juan Navarro all singled, scoring Herring and making the score 8-7. Eric Holley then flew out, followed by a fielder’s choice. After Underwood walked to load the bases, Harper grounded out to third to end the game.

“We coulda woulda shoulda won it,” Jacksonville player-coach Rusty Lewis said. “You can’t have the winning run on in the bottom of the ninth and keep the ball in the infield. Miami tried to hand us the game but we blew it. Blew it.”


Outstanding Players of the Game:

Dan Hinkle, Miami, 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
Bob Holmes, Jacksonville, 2-5, HR, 3 RBI, R

[StLee]

PASS Results, May 9, 2012:

Charlotte 4 at Virginia Beach 5
Raleigh 9 at Baton Rouge 4
Louisville 15 at Richmond 11
Mobile 2 at Austin 18
New Orleans 5 at Jackson 14
Little Rock 6 at Birmingham 14
Memphis 4 at Shreveport 8
Tampa 8 at Atlanta 2
Nashville 8 at Myrtle Beach 7
Houston 2 at Savannah 4
Orlando 8 at Dallas 1

[StLee]

PASS Players of the Day, May 9, 2012:

Ryan Greer, Austin, 5-6, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 4 R


John Bender, Tampa, 2-2, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB


Curt Cobb, Jackson, 4-5, 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R

[StLee]

Reactions Around the League, May 9, 2012:

Birmingham Player-Coach Ricardo Ramos: “Yeah, man. We’ll take a win by eight any day. I think everyone got a hit, got on base in the game, too. We were just on.” Reacting to Birmingham’s 14-6 win over Little Rock. The Gorillas finished with 20 hits. Ramos was 2 for 4 with two doubles, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk.

Myrtle Beach Player-Coach Mike Brown: “Today was just a heartbreaker. We had the freakin’ lead going into the ninth and we just puckered up and let them take it to us long and hard. We got to win these games.” Reacting to Myrtle Beach’s 8-7 loss to Nashville. The Dolphins were leading 7-6 in the ninth but lost. Myrtle Beach has now lost three in a row, two of them by one run.

[StLee]

PASS Releases “First-Round Picks”

The much-guarded Professional Association of Southern Softball inaugural draft was a well-kept secret, that is, until a former intern leaked a few “steals” and “busts” of the draft.

At first, PASS officials denied there being a draft, but we here at Baseball News Network, Softball Edition, have learned some of the details and now have an official statement from the commissioner’s office regarding how players were placed on their current team.

According to the commissioner’s office, “All players were entered into a pool. We then randomly drew first-round draft order and held a one-round draft. Following the first-round, a team of talent evaluators graded the remaining players and they were placed on teams in a snake draft. Position players were placed before any pitchers.”

Draft Results:

1 – Miami – Joseph D’Abrichecourt, CF
2 – Houston – Evan Guerehan, RF
3 – Tampa – John Bender, 3B
4 – Myrtle Beach – Lyndon Hankins, RF
5 – Nashville – Jimmy Hall, 2B
6 – Birmingham – Ricardo Ramos, 1B
7 – Orlando – Allen Palen, CF
8 – Atlanta – Craig Carter, SS
9 – Louisville – Brent Jackson, LF
10 – Charlotte – Greg Owens, 2B
11 – Savannah – John McLean, 1B
12 – Austin – Preston Green, SS
13 – Mobile – Art Andersen, 3B
14 – Raleigh – Josh Alexander, 2B
15 – Shreveport – Cody Davis, LF
16 – Virginia Beach – Sean Washington, C
17 – Little Rock – George Ellis, 3B
18 – Dallas – John Jackson, CF
19 – Baton Rouge – Tom Greene, RF
20 – New Orleans – Terry Beatty, RF
21 – Jacksonville – Bob Holmes, CF
22 – Richmond – Jimmy Joseph, 2B
23 – Memphis – Bruce Walsh, CF
24 – Jackson – Emilio Ruiz, RF

[StLee]

May 10, 2012

Game of the Day: Little Rock at Birmingham


The Birmingham Gorillas charged back late from a 10-run deficit in an offensive battle to overpower Little Rock 16-15. The Gorillas (7-3) have now won five games in a row, while the Razorbacks (3-7) continue their six-game spiral.

Birmingham player-coach Ricardo Ramos was named the game MVP as well as PASS Player of the Day. He went 4 for 5 on the day with two home runs, five RBI, four runs, and a walk.

“I didn’t know I still had it in me to have a game like today,” Ramos said. “We had a great one-two punch day in our Little Rock series.”

In yesterday’s game, Birmingham beat Little Rock 14-6, giving the Gorillas 30 runs in two games.

The Razorbacks started the scoring in the top of the first inning. Jimmy Weese hit a two-out double to score Lindsay Wilson.

Birmingham immediately answered in the bottom of the inning. After Chase Nelson reached on an error with two outs, Ramos hit his first home run of the day to make it 2-1 after one inning.

Little Rock started building a solid lead in the third inning. Ron Tinker led off with a single, followed by consecutive doubles by Wilson and George Ellis. Ellis’ double scored two runs to make it 3-2 in favor of the Razorbacks. With one out, Weese homered to make it 5-2.

The Razorbacks scored four more runs in the fourth thanks to a barrage of extra base hits. John Hubbard led off with a single. After a Phil Jones double, Tinker doubled in two runs. Wilson followed with an RBI triple to give the Razorbacks an 8-2 advantage. Ellis then doubled in Wilson for the final run of the inning.

In the fifth, Little Rock was looking to blow out the Gorillas. After two quick outs, the Razorbacks found their bats again. Jones doubled, followed by singles by Tinker and Wilson to score Jones. Ellis then hit a two-RBI double to give Little Rock a 12-2 lead.

Birmingham finally found an answer in the bottom of the inning. Leslie Williamson led off with a single, followed by a one-out home run by Ramos to cut the Little Rock lead to 12-4 after five innings.

The Gorillas chipped away at the lead again in the seventh inning. Williamson and Chase Nelson hit back-to-back singles, followed by a Ramos walk to load the bases. That’s when Frank Thomas hit a grand slam home run to cut the lead to 12-8.

Little Rock found an answer in the eighth. Ellis led off with a single, followed by a Nick McKinney double. Weese then hit a sacrifice fly to score Ellis. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ronald Malone hit a two-RBI single to give the Razorbacks a 15-8 lead.

But Birmingham was looking to strike big. And they did just that in the bottom of the eighth. After Jeff Gilbert reached on an error, Mark Benson doubled him in. With one out, Williamson singled in Benson to cut the Razorbacks lead to 15-10. After Nelson reached on a walk, Ramos singled in Williamson. With two outs, Burns walked to load the bases and Fred Garcia singled to score Nelson and make the score 15-12. Eric McClain then his a two-RBI single, followed by an RBI single by Benson to tie the score, 15-15. Bennett flew out to end the inning.

After Little Rock failed to score in the ninth, Birmingham found its winning way in the bottom of the inning. Williamson and Nelson singled to lead off. Ramos hit into a double play, ruining his perfect day up to that point. After Thomas walked, Burns singled in Williamson to win the game 16-15.

“That was a heart stabber game,” Little Rock player-coach Hubbard said. “How in tarnation do you go up by 10 runs and just blow it? Back to the drawing board, I reckon.”

Players of the Game:
Ricardo Ramos, Birmingham, 4-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, BB
George Ellis, Little Rock, 5-6, 3 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R
Frank Thomas, Birmingham, 2-5, GS, 4 RBI, R, BB
Leslie Williamson, Birmingham, 4-6, RBI, 4 R
Ron Tinker, Little Rock, 5-6, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 3 R
Jimmy Weese, Little Rock, 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB

[StLee]

PASS Results, May 10, 2012:
Mobile 1 at Austin 10
Tampa 8 at Atlanta 7
Louisville 7 at Richmond 1
Memphis 9 at Shreveport 2
Charlotte 1 at Virginia Beach 6
Nashville 4 at Myrtle Beach 6
Orlando 4 at Dallas 7
Jackson 6 at New Orleans 1
Savannah 1 at Houston 9

(Note: Other than some exciting games, way too many teams scoring only one run on the day. That shouldn’t happen… Grr! However, two more games were nice...)

Game of the Day 2:
Miami 12 at Jacksonville 13


In a game featuring a thrilling ninth inning double rally, the Jacksonville Buzzards outscored the Miami Whales 13-12 on Thursday.

After the Whales scored five runs in the top of the ninth to take a 12-9 lead, the Buzzards answered with four runs of their own, winning on a Bob Holmes double.

Miami’s Ronald Boucher was named the player of the game, going 4 for 6 with a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored. Jacksonville’s top hitter was Holmes, who was 5 for 6 with the game-winning double, three RBI and one run scored. Mark Underwood also had a good game for the Buzzards, going 3 for 5 with two doubles, two RBI, and two runs. Joseph D’Abrichecourt was 2 for 6 with a home run, four RBI, and a run.

Game of the Day 3:
Baton Rouge 12 at Raleigh 13


In the third and final exciting finish of the day on Thursday, the Cats scored a run in the bottom of the eleventh to beat Baton Rouge.

Raleigh’s win spoiled the Rhinos’ late rally to send the game to extra innings. The Cats scored their winning run with no outs in the inning. Doug Roberts doubled, and Josh Alexander was walked. John Johnston then singled to load the bases, followed by an RBI single by Skip Miller.

Miller was named the game MVP, going 4 for 6 with the game-winning hit, a double, triple, three RBI and three runs. Esteban Martinez was the top hitter for Baton Rouge, going 4 for 6 with two doubles, two RBI, and a run.

[StLee]

PASS Players of the Day, May 10, 2012:
Ricardo Ramos, Birmingham, 4-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, BB


George Ellis, Little Rock, 5-6, 3 2B, 5 RBI, 2 R


Ronald Boucher, Miami, 4-6, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R

[StLee]

Reactions Around the League, May 10, 2012:

Virginia Beach Player-Coach Sean Washington: “There’s a fine line between winning and losing in softball. We won’t pretend we’re the next coming of the Yankees, but we’re doing what it takes right now to win a lot of games when it’s all said and done. I expect us to challenge every day, and that’s what we’re doing.” Reacting to the Blue Claws’ 7-3 start and an early one-game lead.

Mobile Player-Coach Mark Hawkins: “We’re all playing scared right now. It’s like we’re expecting to lose when we walk out on the field. Now, I won’t say that’s an indicator of who we are. We’re having a lot of bad luck. I just looked up some stats before the game, and we’re getting some power, but we’re not getting the runners on base we need to score more runs. That has to change.” Reacting to the Hounds’ 3-7 start, including a current four-game losing streak. Also, Mobile is tied for the league lead in home runs, but rank only 14th in runs scored through ten games.

[StLee]

MVP Candidate: Terry Beatty, New Orleans


Every ten games, we here at BNNSE would like to feature a player that has been doing an outstanding job on the season. Our first feature player is Terry Beatty, player-coach for the New Orleans Buzz. He is the player we have as the MVP leader through the first fifth of the season.

The 37-year-old from Wilmington, North Carolina, wasn’t always a ball player.

“Yeah, in high school, I actually quit playing sports to be in the marching band,” Beatty said. “They needed some guys that could carry a tuba.”

His road to professional softball actually began after he had been working for five years (1994-1999) as an airplane mechanic at Albert J. Ellis Airport in Jacksonville, North Carolina. While there, he was invited to play on a co-worker’s team as an alternate player. In his first game, he hit a home run.

“It was a solid blast right over the center field fence. I think they asked the guy that missed not to come back.”

Beatty played for the next eight years in and around Jacksonville before he joined a competitive traveling team in 2007. Joining for that team allowed Beatty to make a career advancement and get a job at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. On weekends and some vacation time, he traveled with the Bank of America (Charlotte) Millionaires. There he earned the North Carolina Softball Association Tournament MVP in 2008.

In 2009, the Carolinas Adult Softball League was formed. Beatty tried out and was awarded a position with the Union County Gamecocks. He played there from 2009-2011, winning Team MVP one year and finishing second in the league in home runs in 2010.

When the Professional Association of Southern Softball was formed to begin the 2012 season, Beatty was one of the first players chosen to be a player-coach. As a player-coach, a player is guaranteed a roster spot for that year. Player-coaches are under one-year contracts.

Beatty was expected to be a leader for New Orleans for his veteran presence and ability to hit the long ball, but he is a surprise for how well he has started in the 2012 season. Beatty currently leads the PASS in batting average (.548), on-base percentage (.587), on-base + slugging percentage (1.539), weighted on-base average (.626), wins above replacement (1.6), and tied for home runs (5). He is also second in slugging percentage (.952) and total bases (40) and tied for third in walks (4). He’s fifth in isolated power (.405).

“I don’t even know what some of them stats mean,” Beatty laughs. “I’m surprised, though, that I’m so high on the list for offense. The season’s still early, though, and there’s a lot of time for people to catch up to me.”

And how does Beatty feel about the New Orleans’ Buzz performance?

“I like winning just as much as anyone. It doesn’t do me any good to have great stats if my team is losing games. We have a tough decision, and every loss is going to weigh on us, so we all need to step up and play better.”

In the mean time, Beatty is carrying his team and deserves to be in talks for league MVP.

[StLee]

{Dear Readers,

I'm planning to drop the "Reactions Around the League" section of my dynasty because I just don't feel it is adding anything to the dynasty at all.

Is there any feature you would like to see or anything you think might add some depth to my dynasty? I'm still feeling my way through, but I don't want to feel like any section is a chore. Right now creating a quote from a randomly selected team seems to be empty, so the quotes must go except when they are part of a game story.

I appreciate those reading this!}

[StLee]

Every 10 games, we at BNNSE plan to give you our Top 10 in Power Rankings. We base these rankings on a simple formula of wins, dominance, and talent. Here is our first list of power rankings.

PASS Power Rankings:
1. Houston, 8-2 – The Slammers have been slamming their way to victory early. Is there any team close in overall talent?
2. Jackson, 7-3 – Not much was expected of the Jacks, but they have been consistent.
3. Virginia Beach, 7-3 – The Blue Claws have been money on defense all season.
4. Myrtle Beach, 5-5 – The Dolphins are only .500, but they are in every game.
5. Atlanta, 5-5 – Like the Dolphins, the Arrows are keeping losses tight. They’ll win more than they lose.
6. Memphis, 7-3 – The Navigators have won several tight games.
7. Miami, 5-5 – There are still championship expectations for the Whales, but they haven’t been winning as promised.
8. Birmingham, 7-3 – Gorilla ball is alive and well, as the Gorillas are outscoring their opponents in slugfests.
9. Raleigh, 6-4 – The Cats ride a four-game winning streak into the Top 10.
10. Louisville, 6-4 – The Thoroughbreds have been hot lately after a 1-3 start.

[StLee]

May 11, 2012

Featured Game 1: Myrtle Beach at Charlotte


In a low-scoring affair, Charlotte was able to pull out a 4-3 win in 10 innings over Myrtle Beach. The Shamrocks are now 3-8 on the season, while the Dolphins (5-6) fall below .500.

Charlotte’s Dan Burkett was named game MVP by going 3 for 5 with two RBI.

“We didn’t score a lot today,” Charlotte player-coach Greg Owens said. “But we didn’t need to score a lot today.”

The Dolphins took the lead in the top of the second inning. Following a Brent Noble home run, Jeff Osborne hit a two-run shot for his only hit of the day.

Charlotte got on the board in the third inning. Nick Barnes led off with a double and Owens hit an RBI two-out double to score him.

The Shamrocks tied the game 2-2 in the sixth. Zach Hodges hit a one-out triple, followed by a Cole Green single.

In the seventh inning, Charlotte added another run for its first lead. Joe Barber and Barnes singled to lead off the inning. With one out, Burkett hit an RBI single.

Myrtle Beach answered in the eighth. After Noble doubled with one out, Mike Brown singled him in with two outs to tie the score 3-3.

Charlotte then won the game in the tenth. Louie Torn doubled and then scored when Burkett reached on a throwing error by Dolphins’ catcher Thomas Baca.

Players of the Game:
Dan Burkett, Charlotte, 3-5, 2 RBI
Brent Noble, Myrtle Beach, 2-5, 2B, 2 R

[StLee]

Featured Game 2: Shreveport at Austin


In another extra-inning thriller, the Shreveport Fighters pulled out a 6-5 victory in Austin. Alexis Veeck’s pinch-hit RBI double in the 11th gave the Fighters (7-4) the edge over the Bulls (5-6).

“We didn't get a whole lot of timely hitting today, but Alexis’ hit was clutch,” Shreveport player-coach Drake Park said.

The Fighters and Bulls had 14 hits each. Despite half of the Bulls’ hits being extra base hits, they were only able to manage five runs.

Most of those runs came in the eighth inning, when Austin rallied to tie the game at 5-5. Ryan Greer led off with a double. With one out, Michel Farley singled to score Greer. After a walk, Doug Johnson singled to load the bases. Tenny Roper then hit into a fielder’s choice to score Farley. The final run came on a throwing error, allowing Lou O’Higgins to score the tying run.

Shreveport took the lead in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie. Eugene Bell and Park singled to start the inning. With two outs, Donnie Rainey walked. Brit Floyd then doubled to clear the bases. Floyd was named player of the game for his hit.

Players of the Game:
Brit Floyd, Shreveport, 1-3, 2B, 3 RBI
Lou O’Higgins, Austin, 3-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB