Patriots’ Haley strikes out 15 Southaven Chargers in Highlight of the Night
Photo: DeSoto Central players celebrate as Hanna McCain (3) jumps on home plate after a second-inning home run Tuesday against Horn Lake. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Whoever gets through Region 1-7A softball this spring will have gone through quite a gauntlet to get there. Hernando, Lewisburg and DeSoto Central are going to write quite a resume with all three in line to make deep runs in the postseason this spring.
For DeSoto Central softball coach Harley Bumpous, the road through the district will “be tough, but fun.”
“A lot of people miss out on us in Mississippi,” Bumpous said. “It’s really a shame because in north Mississippi, in this county, is some of the best softball I’ve ever seen in my life before, I’ve ever been part of to compete with. So it’s tough, but it’s fun.”
After a 20-0, three-inning victory over Horn Lake Tuesday night that improved DeSoto Central’s record to 12-1, Bumpous was asked about the makeup of this year’s Lady Jags. She looks first at the returning experience on a team with a wealth of juniors and seniors, calling it a “special group.”
“We have a lot of returners from last year, and so I’m very excited,” Bumpous said. “A lot of those kids are juniors and seniors and they’ve got that experience underneath their belt. I think it helps them play calm most of the time and I think that’s what we need to get us through, to get us kind of over that edge.”
When asked about players to look for this spring, Bumpous started with last year’s North MVP of the Mississippi Association of Coaches junior All-Star games and returning senior Londen Armstrong and junior pitcher Colby Young.
“Colby is a big help for us as a pitcher and we can also use her at first base so we can use her bat in the lineup,” she said. “Kaylee Tucker is another senior who has gotten into the four hole for us. She’s having a great year, along with eighth-grader Makayla Jamison, who started for us as a seventh-grader last year.”
As a team, the Lady Jags have been able to pick each other up. When the bats are working, the defense and pitching have picked up and vice versa, Bumpous said.
“They’ve been hitting the ball really well, which helps you win a lot of ball games, Bumpous said. “They play for each other more than anything, playing together, picking each other up, that’s been the most important thing so far.”
Then there’s that gauntlet to run through to see who survives and reaches the 7A final series for the state championship. It should be quite a run.
HALEY HAS HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT IN PATRIOTS VICTORY
Lewisburg pitcher Talon Haley fanned 15 Chargers in the Patriots’ 10-0 baseball victory over Southaven Tuesday night, but that’s not all. Haley no-hit the Chargers in five and a third innings on the mound. Meanwhile at the plate, Haley hit a pair of doubles and drove in a pair of runs. He is a Vanderbilt commitment. The Patriots broke the game open with a six-run fifth inning and put the game away with a run in the sixth for the run-rule victory.
Northpoint Christian: Ella Myrick – hit for the cycle, including a home run, triple, double, and single for 5 RBIs. Hannah Bostain – 2 doubles. Trinity Garvin – 8 strikeouts.
Prep boys soccer
Overton at Northpoint Christian 2, Overton 0
Northpoint Christian – Maverick Ray – 2 goals
JUCO baseball
Northwest 7, Mississippi Delta 6
Northwest: Coach Mark Carson becomes Rangers’ all-time winningest coach at #557.
Northwest 11, Mississippi Delta 5
JUCO softball
Northwest 4, Mississippi Delta 1
Northwest 7, Mississippi Delta 0
Prep tennis
Center Hill 6, Lake Cormorant 1
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Stokes becomes Lewisburg all-time hit leader
With that hit, Junior Leona Klaire Stokes passes ‘21 Grad Jalynn Taylor to place herself at the top of the hits category in LHS Softball History!! pic.twitter.com/NDHEz76Fx2
