By Angie Ledbetter

They were hoping to make it a 3-peat under head coach Ashleigh Hicks, but in a surprising upset the South Panola Lady Tiger fastpitch softball team is out of the playoffs.

Facing determined Grenada Lady Chargers, the Lady Tigers found themselves fighting for their lives in the first round of the playoff tournament.

Grenada had played Desoto Central a hard game Saturday morning and waited to take on the Lady Tigers Saturday afternoon.

The Lady Chargers had nothing to lose coming into the playoffs with a 4-20 overall record. The Lady Tigers had already defeated them 7-2 and 11-1 in games this season.

But the Lady Tigers could not stand up to the determination of Grenada to knock them out of the playoffs.

The game went into an extra inning as regulation ended scoreless. Grenada was first at bat and with the last player out on second base, the Lady Chargers scored two runs and held South Panola to one to win 2-1.

Grenada and Desoto Central will play for tournament champion and the right to continue their season tonight at 5 p.m. on the Lady Tiger field.

South Panola is the district champion and earned the right to host the tournament.

Desoto Central played back-to-back games Saturday, knocking off Grenada in the first one 5-1 and South Panola in the second 6-4 in extra innings.

They kept their drive alive and defeated the Lady Tigers 6-4 for the second game.

The Lady Jaguars started the game scoring two runs in the top of the first.

In the bottom of fifth, Meredith Roberson started the drive for the Lady Tigers. She got on base being hit by a pitch. Crystal Contreras came in as courtesy runner for Roberson. Hillari Plummer got on base by fielder’s choice and Contreras stole second. Chelsea Allen connected on a base line hit to plate Contreras.

Stormy Robison drove home Plummer for the RBI (run batted in) for the second run to tie the game at two. The Lady Jaguars added another run in the top of sixth followed by a run by Jennifer Newcomb in bottom of sixth to tie the game at three to send it to extra innings.

In the top of eighth, Lady Jaguars scored three runs for the 6-4 win. Desoto Central had nine hits and two errors. The Lady Tigers had five hits and two errors.

Kenzi Reed pitched both complete games.

Before starting the playoffs, the Lady Tigers had to finish the regular season Thursday.

South Panola shutout Columbus in the final district game 12-0.

Kenzi Reed pitched 11 strike outs and had one hit.

The Desoto Central Lady Jaguars played the Lady Tigers in a second game defeating the Lady Tigers 4-3.

The Lady Jaguars took an early 3-0 lead but the Lady Tigers fought hard and tied the game in the bottom of fifth. In the top of the sixth, second baseman Kaye Westbrook hit a one-run homer which turned out to be the winning run.

The Lady Tigers left seven runners in scoring position. They had eight hits and committed six errors. The Lady Jaguars had eight hits and committed four errors.

The Lady Tigers finished the regular season with a 15-10  record.