Published: July 10, 2009 10:58 pm      

No-hitter an early highlight in Perry

The Dixie state tournaments for softball kicked off in Perry on Thursday and resumed Friday with five area teams participating.

In the 8-U Darlings division, the Dalton All-Stars are now 1-1 after a 19-10 win Thursday over Taylor County, but narrowly lost to defending state-champion Jasper County 13-12 on Friday to move into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament.

“We had our chances,” Dalton coach Stacy Parker said of Friday’s loss. “But that was the best game we’ve played all season.”

Dalton will play at 9 a.m. today against Marion County. If Dalton wins, it would play an opponent to be determined at 6 p.m.

Whitfield National West lost to Jasper County on Thursday, but rebounded Friday with a 12-0 win against Perry. Whitfield will play Taylor County at 1 p.m. today; if it wins, it will play again at 8 p.m.

In the 12-U Ponytails division, Whitfield County won 10-0 Thursday over Baconton, with Cayla Plott, Chaya Drury and Sydney Covington combining to throw a no-hitter. Whitfield lost Friday to Perry 6-5 and will play Jasper at 5:30 today for a spot in Sunday’s championship.

Whitfield National East and Whitfield American played in the 10-U Angels division, but neither coach returned messages left by The Daily Citizen on Friday.

In the Dixie baseball state tournament in LaGrange, both the 13-U and 14-U Whitfield County teams will play their first games today, with 13-U playing against Troup County and 14-U playing against Columbia County. Both games have a 1 p.m. start time.