Photo: Darby Smith attacks a pitch during Saturday’s 8-3 DeSoto Central victory over Clinton for a two-game sweep of the Lady Arrows. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
DESOTO CENTRAL 8, CLINTON 3: It’s on to the second round of the 7A softball playoff series for the DeSoto Central Lady Jags, where county rival Lewisburg awaits, starting Friday. But DeSoto Central got there by sweeping out the Clinton Lady Arrows on Saturday 8-3 in the second game of a best-of-three first-round series.
Following Friday’s 6-4 game-one victory at Clinton, coach Harley Bumpous’ Lady Jags opened Saturday’s game with a 4-0 lead after three innings. When Clinton scored three runs of its own in the fourth inning, DeSoto Central responded with three more and added one for good measure in the fifth inning to put the game away and punch its ticket to the next round of the postseason.
Reagan Dale was an offensive star for the Lady Jags Saturday with four RBIs on two hits, both singles, and scored a run. Londen Armstrong and Makayla Jamison scored twice and Jamison was 3-for-3 at the plate.
Meanwhile Colby Young was a stalwart in the circle while battling a back injury that had her noticeably hurting in the final inning of the contest. Young threw to all but two batters on Friday and pitched a complete game in Saturday’s win.
“I caught her this morning and asked her, ‘You want the ball in your hand?’, and she said, ‘Yes, ma’am, I don’t want him to play anywhere else,’” Bumpous said. “She kept saying, ‘Please don’t take me out. Please don’t take me out.”
Bumpous said she was especially impressed in what she termed the “selfless play” of her team Saturday.
“We’ve fought some really hard games this season and come up short, had some really tight games and some really big games,” Bumpous said. “To stay on top tonight, the sac flies, the bunts, all of that shows me how selfless they are and I’m glad they could put it all together.”
Now, DeSoto Central faces a familiar foe and a team the Lady Jags have yet to win against when they head to Lewisburg on friday to open the second-round best-of-three series.
“You know, they’re gonna be solid,” Bumpous said about the Lady Patriots. “They’re gonna be solid from top to bottom, in the circle, behind the plate and on defense. They’re gonna be solid all the way around, but I think we are too and I think we’re gonna give them a run for their money.”
HERNANDO 9, MADISON CENTRAL 5: In the quick turnaround from Friday night’s 5-3, nine-inning first-game victory, the Lady Tigers swept out Madison Central Saturday afternoon to advance to the second round of the 7A softball postseason. After taking a 3-0 lead, Hernando saw Madison Central respond with a run in the fourth and four more in the fifth for 6-3 lead. However, that’s when the young Lady Tigers responded with two runs in the sixth to tie the game and won it with four runs in the top of the seventh. Madison Central was not able to score in their half of the seventh to ensure the Hernando victory. The bottom of the order produced for Hernando, as Jayla Sites and Molly Anderson each scored twice. The top of the order came through for the Lady Tigers, as Kaitlyn Gentry and Olivia Higginbotham each hit safely twice and Katelyn Kirkpatrick had three hits to lead in that area. Kirkpatrick had a pair of doubles, and Gentry, Hayden Hodge and Anderson also doubled. Kate Johnson was the winning pitcher in relief, allowing no runs and one hit in 2.1 innings.
NESHOBA CENTRAL 8, LAKE CORMORANT 0: The Lady Gators season ended with their second-straight loss to Neshoba Central on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Rockets scored three times to open the game, added a run in the fifth and finished with four runs in the visiting half of the seven for the shutout victory. Lake Cormorant was held to three singles against Neshoba Central. Pitcher Alyssa Boswood walked two and struck out three in the circle, giving up eight runs, four earned, and seven hits.
7A Prep softball playoffs
First round series – best of three
Lewisburg vs. Tupelo
Lewisburg 12, Tupelo 2 (6 innings)
Lewisburg 13, Tupelo 4 (Lewisburg wins 2-0)
DeSoto Central vs. Clinton
DeSoto Central 6, Clinton 4
DeSoto Central 8, Clinton 3 (DeSoto Central wins 2-0)
Hernando vs. Madison Central
Hernando 4, Madison Central 3 (9 innings)
Hernando 9, Madison Central 5 (Hernando wins 2-0)
6A Prep softball playoffs
First round series – best of three
Neshoba Central 12, Lake Cormorant 0 (4 innings)
Neshoba Central 8, Lake Cormorant 0 (Neshoba Central wins 2-0)
