SOUTHERN SENDS CLOVIS TO VICTORY JAMIE SOUTHERN SCORES BOTH OF THE COUGARS' RUNS AGAINST BUCHANAN.
Lisa Burnett THE FRESNO BEE

Jamie Southern put up some impressive numbers Wednesday against Buchanan High, but they weren't her pitching statistics.

Southern went 2 for 3, including a towering home run, and scored both runs to lead Clovis, ranked No. 2 in the section and No. 6 in the state, to a key 2-0 Tri-River Athletic Conference softball victory over the Bears, ranked No. 3 in the section and No. 13 in the state.

"That's what makes her the player she is, she can hurt you in so many ways," Cougars coach Mike Noel said of Southern, the Central Section record-holder for career hits.

The victory gave Clovis a two-game lead over second-place Buchanan with three TRAC games remaining and essentially wrapped up the conference title.

"I think with a two-game lead with three to play, it's going to be pretty tough to catch them," Bears assistant Dean Gregory said. "They'd have to lose their last three, and we'd have to win out. With Jamie and the team she has behind her, I can't see that happening."

Southern, bound for Fresno State, gave up four hits, struck out eight and walked one.

"Things weren't as great [pitching] as they could be, but we battled with our defense and put pressure on them with our offense, and it just happened," Southern said.

"Jamie's been used to carrying us on her back for four years. It's nice when we can help her," added Noel, referring to the Cougars defense, which committed just one error.

Clovis managed 11 base runners, but Southern was the major offensive force.

In the third inning, she singled and later scored the winner when Alex Belardinelli reached on an error. Then in the fifth, Southern hit a 1-0 pitch from Marie Western over the left-field fence at Cougar Park for her first home run of the season.

Western pitched a five-hitter with four strikeouts and one walk, but Buchanan committed an uncharacteristically high four errors, including two that advanced Southern in the third.

"I think we came out with the bats a lot better, but the errors, that's what always seems to cost us," Western said. "I think we just lost it for that one inning because after that, I thought we did pretty well."