By Myra Bean

Though it was not planned, the South Panola slowpitch softball team had to take two trips to Clinton last week in order to advance to the second round of playoffs.

The Lady Tigers will face Brandon today in a best-of-three series to see who will face Grenada in the north half tournament later this week in Grenada.

South Panola traveled to Clinton last Tuesday for the first round of playoffs and lost the first game 10-8. Clinton led 5-0 at the end of the first inning. The Lady Tigers started chipping away at the lead by scoring three runs in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and four in the seventh.

Clinton scored three more runs in the second and one in the fifth for the win.

Christa Brown pitched the entire series as games two and three were played Thursday night. South Panola shutout Clinton 3-0 in game two and won game three in extra innings 11-6.

Hitting in game one for the Lady Tigers were Meri Morgan Fortune, homerun, double; Amanda Ivy, double; Christa Brown, Merideth Roberson, Chresha Brown, and Danielle Townsend, all one single; Crystal Contreras, two singles.

Clinton left 11 runners on base in the second game and had loaded the bases in the second inning. A fly ball to Lady Tiger third, left and pitcher kept the game scoreless for the Lady Arrowns.

Fortune hit a 2 RBI (runs batted in) single to driv ehome Christa Borwn and Ivy, who had singled. Townsend hit a single RBI to drive home Paige Jordan who singled to get on base.

Hitting for the Lady Tigers were Contreras, double;  Fortune, one single, two RBIs; Townsend, one single, one RBI; Jordan, three singles; Chelsea Allen, two singles; Chresha Brown, Ivy and Christa Brown, one single each.

In the third game, South Panola scored six runs in the first inning. Clinton ate at the lead with two runs in the fifth and four runs in the seventh to tie the game at six at the end of regulation.

South Panola batted first in the eighth inning and scored five runs while keeping Clinton scoreless.

Fortune hit a double and two singles, followed by Chelsea Austin and Jordan who hit a double and a single each. Other hitters include Christa Brown, two singles; Ivy, three singles; Townsend, two singles; Chresha Brown, three singles; Contreras, two singles; Mary Beth Hays and Allen, one single each.