Franklin County Dixie Belles Softball coach Pam Rushing stressedthe importance of every pitch to her team Sunday afternoon and inthe end it paid off.

Rushing and the FC Dixie Belles collected a 7-3 victory thateliminated Magee late Sunday afternoon in the Dixie Girls StateFastpitch Softball Tournament held at the Brookhaven Hansel KingSportsplex.

Franklin County lost to St. Martin 9-1 Sunday morning.

“We knew we had to come back and play our kind of softball,”said Rushing after the St. Martin setback. “Our team rebounded andbeat Magee, but still we haven’t played our best game.”

The FC Belles will resume play today at 12:15 p.m. at thecomplex, facing the Wayne County/Carthage loser. If FC wins, theywill play again tonight. Finals will be played Tuesday eveningbeginning at 6:00.

Franklin County 7, Magee 3

FC starting pitcher Heidi Thornton set the tone early as shestruck out the first six batters. The 14-year old Thornton pitchedthree innings of shutout softball, allowing no hits and eightstrikeouts.

“Heidi pitched well, and our defense made some good plays,” saidRushing.

A dazzling centerfield catch by Vintrice Briggs and someexcellent second base work by Karlee Mullins gave FC an edge.

Magee could only manage one hit the entire game as thecombination of Thornton and relief pitchers Shelby Lofton andRachel Dier kept the Simpson County natives in check.

“We’re still not hitting the ball like I know we can,” addedRushing, who watched her team plate out five hits in the contest.”My catcher Courtney Reid also did a good job.”

Reid, the team’s 15-year old leader and captain collected an RBIdouble and a stolen base. Defensively, she kept Magee’s baserunnershonest with strong throws and kickoffs.

Tammie Alexander, KeKe Collins, Allison Hauer, and Briggs addeda single apiece for the Dixie Bells. Mullins collected two stolenbases.

Franklin County took an early 2-0 lead off a Magee error, thatscored Lofton and Briggs. FC held a 6-0 lead after five innings,before holding off Magee late.

“We’ve got to come ready to play today,” said Rushing, who isassisted by Christi Thornton and Jennifer Crosby. “Today we’ve gotsome big games.”

St. Martin 9, Franklin County 1

An early morning 10 a.m. start seemed to get the best of the FCDixie Belles, as St. Martin fireball pitcher Fallon Dyleoverwhelmed FC with a near 60 mph rise ball that cuffed them.

Franklin County’s Tammie Alexander provided the team’s only hitwith a sixth inning single. Karlee Mullins, who reached base on awalk, collected two stolen bases for FC.

Heidi Thornton scored Franklin County’s only run in the bottomof the sixth, off a St. Martin error.

“We did not play good,” said Rushing. “We couldn’t get around onthe St. Martin pitcher.”

Dyle worked three innings, striking out two FC batters. AshleyHickman and Paige Garner combined to throw the last four innings,allowing one hit.

Franklin County pitcher Rachel Dier absorbed the loss, despitestriking out two St. Martin batters. She allowed five hits.

St. Martin took a 2-0 first inning lead and never looked back.FC trailed St. Martin 7-0 in the sixth, before scoring their firstrun.

St. Martin’s Bre Desporte led all hitters with two singles and adouble. Jessica Fox collected three singles, and Hickman a doubleand a single.