By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
They went into the weekend in need of help and got it. They also needed to take care of their own business and for the most part the Jefferson Davis Community College Lady Warhawks softball team did that too.
JDCC's 3-1 record over the weekend against Alabama Southern and Bishop State combined with L.B. Wallace's 1-3 weekend against the same schools enabled the Lady Warhawks to pass L.B. Wallace and move into fourth place in the Alabama Community College Conference south division standings. The top four teams from the division will advance to next week's state tournament.
JDCC (11-11 in the ACCC and 18-29 overall) now has a one-game lead over L.B. Wallace (10-12 in the ACCC and 17-16 overall) headed into the final date of league play. Both teams finish up with doubleheaders against Wallace State-Dothan (owners of a 40-3 record and an 11th place national ranking). JDCC headed to Dothan Tuesday, while L.B. Wallace goes there Friday.
The weekend began on an ominous note for JDCC, as it lost Saturday's opener to Alabama Southern 3-0 before it rallied for a 6-4 win in game two.
Lady Warhawks pitcher Nikki Madden scattered eight hits, struck out four and allowed just one earned run, but took the loss.
Nichole Young, Kristen Phillips, Jessica Cunningham, Makeyia Burt and Stacy Sanders all had one hit for JDCC.
The Lady Warhawks avoided a four-game season sweep against Alabama Southern in game two when they rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh inning thanks largely to RBI singles by Lakyn Newton and Sanders.
Newton picked up the win on a six-hitter with four strikeouts.
Carleen Clark and Phillips both had two hits and an RBI to pace the Lady Warhawks' offense. Cunningham also had a two-hit game.
JDCC concluded the home portion of its schedule Sunday when it swept a pair against Bishop State with a 4-1 win in game one and a 6-5, eight-inning triumph in game two.
The Lady Warhawks used a complete game six-hitter from Madden to win the opener.
Newton and Clark each had two hits and an RBI.
Sanders singled in the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift JDCC. The game-winning single was one of two hits Sanders had in the game. Ashley Ross and Kelly Stewart also had two hits.
Newton went all eight innings for the win, as she allowed six hits.
The Lady Warhawks wrap up the regular season Thursday with a 4 p.m. non-conference twinbill at Pensacola Junior College.
Saturday's game one
JDCC 000 000 0 – 0 5 1
Alabama Southern 002 001 X – 3 8 0
Game two
JDCC 001 010 4 – 6 12 3
Alabama Southern 101 000 1 – 4 6 0
Sunday's game one
Bishop State 100 000 0 – 1 6 0
JDCC 102 010 X – 4 8 2
Game two
Bishop State 120 100 01 – 5 60
JDCC 001 300 2 – 6 9 4