LOCAL SPORTS IN BRIEF
BY SPORTS EDITOR MITCH LUCAS
SOFTBALL

Lady Bulldogs split first two games

Kilgore High School's Lady Bulldog softball squad won their first game in the Spring Hill/White Oak Tournament on Thursday, beating Eustace, 13-3, then losing to Van, 7-0.

KHS (3-6 overall this season) was to face New Diana today at 2 p.m. Coach Cassie Newell's Lady Bulldogs will play Spring Hill on Saturday at 1:30. They will play another game Saturday against an opponent to be determined, at a time to be determined by the games today.

Kilgore opens District 12-4A play on Monday night at Henderson, beginning with the junior varsity at 4:30 p.m.

Against Eustace, Yamika Smith had a two-run home run for KHS, and another hit, a single. Brianna Sanders had an inside the-park homer, and also had another hit. Shae Morgan, a senior, had three hits, as did Summer Williams (Williams' were all doubles). Meagan Youngblood had three hits, as well. Jalissa Baggett and catcher Alyssa McKinney each had two hits.

Chelsea Warren went the distance on the mound for the Lady Bulldogs, all seven innings (they didn't score their 13th run, the 10-run rule, until the top of the seventh). Warren finished with six strikeouts.

Speaking of the JV, Kilgore's enrolled in the tournament late, when another varsity team pulled out. The JV lost both times (playing against varsity teams) on Friday, falling to Spring Hill, 11-1, and 12-1 to New Diana.

The JV was to face Eustace at noon. On Saturday, the JV will play Van at 11:30 a.m.

Sabine wins twice in Longview

Sabine High School's softball team picked up two wins on Thursday as a part of the Lear Park Tournament in Longview, both over larger schools.

Sabine (5-4) beat Pine Tree, a Class 4A school, 12-5, then beat Texas High, 7-2. The Lady Cards continue in the tournament all weekend - today, they were to face Pflugerville Hendricks this morning (9 a.m), then Henderson at 9 p.m. Sabine has faced Henderson twice this young season already, and has a win and a loss against the Lady Lions.

The Lady Cards jumped out to a 4-0 lead over PT on Thursday, and never looked back. They scored six runs in the fifth inning, basically putting the game away. Sabine had 12 hits in the game, and both teams committed four errors.

Sandy James went all seven innings on the mound for the Lady Cardinals. She struck out three, walked two and allowed five hits.

At the plate, she put on a show. She went 4-for-4 with 3 RBI, three doubles and a single. Lindsey Bryce went 4-for-5 and also had three doubles and a single, and recorded 4 RBI.

Another member of the 4 RBI club was Alex Easley, who went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a single and brought home four runs. Chelsea Headley went 2-for-4, a double and a single. Hailey Hayes went 1-for-3 with a single, but made it count, picking up an RBI. Cassie Headley went 1-for-1, a single.

In the 7-2 win over Texas High, James again went the entire game, finishing with two strikeouts, allowing one walk and nine hits. She's 5-3 this season.

She had a home run against the Lady Tigers, going 2-for-4 and also had a double and 4 RBI. Chelsea Headley went 2- for-4 with two singles and an RBI. Cassie Headley went 3-for- 3, with three singles. And Janelle DeFreece, Sabine's catcher, went 1-for-3 with a single.

KYSA sign-up starts Saturday

Registration for the spring season of the Kilgore Youth Softball Association (KYSA) will begin Saturday, and will be held several days throughout the first portion of March.

Registration will be held at the sports complex on Highway 135 (that's also where games are played) at the red building. There is a registration fee of $75 per player, with discounts after registering two players from the same household.

The first registration day is this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the sports complex. There are two more Saturday registration days: March 1 and March 8, both from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

There are also a pair of mid-week registration days: Tuesday, Feb. 26 (from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.) and Tuesday, March 4 (from 4 p.m. until 6).

There will be no late registration this year. For more information on KYSA, contact Evelyn Stokes at (903) 984-8704, or see the KYSA website at kysakilgore.org. SOCCER

KHS off tonight, plays Monday

Both Kilgore High School soccer teams have the night off tonight, an open date. The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will both play Monday - the boys play at Pine Tree at 5:30 p.m., starting with the junior varsity, and the Lady 'Dogs play here at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium, also beginning at 5:30 with the JV.

BASKETBALL

Last road game for KC Saturday

The Kilgore College Runnin' Rangers basketball team will play its last road game of the 2007-08 regular season Saturday at 4 p.m. at Navarro College in Corsicana. Hear the game live online at tsrnsports.com, the Texas Sports Radio Network website, or live on KZQX 105.3-FM.

The Lady Rangers are off Saturday: Navarro has no women's basketball program.

Both the Rangers and Lady Rangers will finish the season Tuesday night at home at Masters Gym against Lon Morris College - the ladies game tips off at 5:30 p.m.

Masters Gym will be the site of the Region XIV Conference tournament next weekend.

Kilgore's youth league championships Saturday

The Kilgore Youth Basketball Association will play its championship games on Saturday at Kilgore High School's gymnasium. Admission is free.

The boys' second-third place game will be at 9 a.m., with the fourth-fifth place game at 10. The title game will be at 11, and a championship presentation, sponsored by East Texas Hardware, will follow at noon.

The girls' second-third place game is scheduled for 1 p.m., the fourth-fifth place game at 2, and the championship game at 3, followed by an awards presentation at 4, sponsored by East Texas Lumber.

Parents, grandparents and everyone else can come out to KHS for a fun day of KYBA basketball.