By Angie Ledbetter

Nicole Fullilove got up Saturday morning telling everyone she was only playing one game and she meant business as the Lady Tigers run-ruled the Lady Chargers 10-0 in five innings to sweep the series and earn a trip to North State.

It has been four years since a South Panola fastpitch team has made it to the north state championship game but the 2012 Lady Tigers (22-8) are on their way.

The Lady Tigers will host the Madison Central Lady Jaguars Thursday at 5:30 and travel to Madison Saturday for game two and three if necessary.

Fans are asked to paint the stands red to show support for the Lady Tigers.

Lady Tiger head coach Ashleigh Hicks said it felt amazing.

“It’s been since 2008 and these girls have earned every bit of it. We started in June and they’ve worked extremely hard. Now it’s time for them to sit back, play ball and enjoy it.”

On Friday the Lady Tigers won 2-1 at home but on Saturday it was a different game as the No. 1 strike out pitcher in the state Fullilove was hot on the mound both games. Fullilove fanned 16 batters to give her a total of 227 strike outs for the season. In game one, she faced 24 batter, struck out nine, allowed no walks and allowed one run. In the second game, Fullilove faced 17 batters, striking out seven, allowed no walks and one hit.

According to Hicks Fullilove had really turned it on the past two days.

“It was peaking time for her and she dominated their offense twice and Southaven had some good sticks. When they swung the bats our defense stepped up also.”

Hicks said one thing the coaches had been preaching all week was mental toughness.

“Mental toughness in softball is huge. We even had people coming to our practices during the week cheering against us trying to get that mental game prepared. We had to go to a three game series against Northwest Rankin because we had that mental let down.”

In game one the Lady Chargers scored their only run in top of the first. The Lady Tigers answered in the bottom of the frame with one run to tie it when center fielder Christa Brown hit an inside of the park homerun to right. Brown scored the other run after drawing a walk in the bottom of the third. She scored on a double by right fielder Marla Rudd.

The Lady Tigers had two hits, left five on base, no errors and two earned runs. Southaven had one hit, left two stranded, two errors and one earned run.

Ivy had nine put outs and Fullilove had 11 assists on the defensive side of the ball.

Game two of the series was totally different. The Lady Tiger bats were on fire from the very beginning and the defense set the tone with Fullilove on target as the Lady Tigers made this a day about them.

The Lady Tigers started the game with three runs. Brown singled and got to second on an error. Rudd followed with a triple to right field driving Brown home for the score. On a fielder’s choice Amanda Ivy made her way to third sending Rudd home. Ivy then made her way home while Meri Morgan Fortune was at bat.

Southaven went three-up, three-down in top of the first and second with Fullilove striking out four and the defense behind her doing the rest.

The remainder of the game was history for Southaven as the Lady Tigers put the icing on the cake with a six-run fourth inning.

Hicks felt her team was mentally there at that point.

“I felt a little ease at that point anyway but you have to play softball to the last out. We were on top of our game. I knew Fullilove had been really controlling their offense and I felt our defense was going to come through for us.

“I expected to win but never expected to run rule them,” added Hicks.

“Hailie is a good pitcher for Southaven and I think the key was this was the third time we’ve seen her in a row. We were on her Friday but we didn’t score the runs but I felt like we were making contact. Today I felt we just came through with the big hits when we needed to.”

Scoring runs were Caroline Dickins, Fullilove, Lindsey Calvert, Brown, Rudd and Ivy.

The last run to give the Lady Tigers the victory was Lauren Calvert’s by way of fielder’s choice.

The Lady Tigers ended the game with 10 hits, five left on base, one error and seven earned runs. Southaven had one hit, four errors and left two on base.

Picking up RBIs were Brown with three, Ivy two, Fullilove, Fortune, Rudd and Lauren Calvert one each.

Rudd hit a triple and a double and others hitting doubles were Fullilove, two, Fortune and Ivy one each.

On the defensive side, Ivy had seven put outs and Lauren Calvert had five. Fullilove had seven assists, Fortune, three; Ivy and Lindsey Calvert one each.

To get ready for Madison Central, Hicks said the team has to focus on being mentally strong at the plate.

“Our pitching and defense will be there but we just have to be mentally strong at the plate, take the balls and swing at the strikes. That’s going to be the key to winning the north state.”