Photo: Hernando’s softball team gathers after Tuesday’s 3-0 victory over DeSoto Central. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Apr 15, 2025 – You can pretty much book the four seeds from Region 1-7A softball for next week’s first round of playoffs to be, in order, Hernando, DeSoto Central, Lewisburg, and Oxford. Hernando laid claim to the top spot and DeSoto Central set for number two with Tuesday night’s 3-0 victory over the Lady Jags on the DeSoto Central diamond.
Hernando still meets Oxford at home Thursday in one final division game before playoffs start on Thursday, April 24, but the result Tuesday put the playoff seeding down with something close to indelible ink. DeSoto Central also plays Thursday, but it’s a non-region game at home against Olive Branch.
The Hernando win also exacted a bit of regular season revenge for the only loss the Lady Tigers have suffered this spring, a 2-0 home loss to DeSoto Central one week ago. Since then, Hernando (26-1 overall) has won five straight and the last four have been shutouts. DeSoto Central fell to 22-3 for the season.
“It was definitely great to see our kids respond,” Hernando coach Nicki Whitten said. “I knew they wanted to respond and it was good to see it.”
Winning pitcher Olivia Skinner held DeSoto Central hitters to only four hits. Colby Young and Londen Armstrong both hit doubles against Skinner, but the Hernando defense kept the following hitters from providing support in situations where the extra-base hits came with two out.
“Skinner is just a freshman and she’s already been in some big moments,” Whitten said. “She puts in a lot of work and I’m just so glad to see her shining right now.”
Hayden Hodge sparked the Hernando offense with two hits and a pair of runs batted in.
“I’m watching her become a leader before my eyes,” Whitten said. “She’s seeing the ball really well right now.”
Madeline Sowell doubled for the Lady Tigers’ only extra-base smack of the contest. Hernando also benefited from three Lady Jag errors.
The difference Tuesday night for Hernando was a quick 1-0 lead in the first, followed by insurance runs by the Lady Tigers in the fourth and seventh innings.
In the first inning, Hernando was able to take advantage of two errors and a single by Hodge to score Olivia Higginbotham for the early 1-0 lead, a huge run in Whitten’s mind.
“It’s very important to score first, especially considering they scored first against us last time,” said Whitten. “We should have scored more in the first inning, we left some runners on base.”
Then in the fourth inning, Macie Dever Boaz walked, stole second and scored on the throw back to the infield when Hodge stroked a single to right.
The final bit of insurance came from reserves in the seventh inning when Sowell doubled and courtesy runner Katelyn Kirkpatrick scored on Bertlee Barrett’s sacrifice fly to center.
Here’s the final out of Tuesday’s Hernando victory:
SCOREBOARD
Tuesday, April 15
Prep baseball
Lewisburg 15, Horn Lake 0 (4 innings)
South Panola 5, Center Hill 0
Olive Branch 8, Lake Cormorant 2
St. George’s 12, Northpoint Christian 2 (6 innings)
