MAIS District 1-AAA Fastpitch Softball Champions

Lady Green Wave dethrones Bayou for district title

By Brad Greer

Move over Bayou Academy, there is a changing of the guard in MAIS District 1-AAA fastpitch softball.

 For six seasons, the Colts have been a constant thorn in the side of North Delta School but that all changed Tuesday night as the Lady Green Wave defeated Bayou 3-2 to win the district championship. The victory concludes a first-ever regular season sweep  as North Delta won 1-0 two weeks ago at Cleveland.

“We beat them last year in the North State tournament, but I’ve have found out in private school softball winning a district championship is just as important. We finally slew Goliath,” said a joyous North Delta head coach Damon Plummer. 

Sarah Johnson fired a complete game two-hitter while striking out 10 as North Delta took advantage of a fifth inning error that proved to be the winning run after erasing a 2-0 deficit.

The Lady Green Wave (12-7-1; 9-1) will advance to the North AAA State tournament at Bayou Saturday morning against the Manchester-Starkville winner at 11:30 a.m. A win by North Delta will advance them to a winners’ bracket game Monday morning at 10 a.m while a loss drops them into a loser bracket contest at 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

The top four teams advance to the State AAA tournament next weekend at Brandon’s Shiloh Park.

Things did not start off well for the Lady Wave as two errors and a triple staked Bayou to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The home team responded quickly however with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. 

Ginger Stevens drove in the first run by drawing a base loaded walk with two outs. Taylor Barton then delivered a RBI single through the right side to drive in Johnson that tied the game at 2-2.

Both teams squandered scoring chances  in the third as Bayou left a runner at third base while North Delta threatened with runners on second and third  with one out but could not break the deadlock.

The Lady Wave took the lead one inning later as Janie Brasell  doubled with two outs.  Myles Durham followed with a routine ground ball to shortstop but the throw skipped off the Colt’s first basemen’s glove and allowed Brasell to score the winning run.

Bayou’s last gasp came in the sixth as Shelby Newsom reached third with one out but was left there as Johnson got a popout and struck out a batter to end the inning.

North Delta registered four hits as Johnson and Durham provided singles.

The Green Wave honored four seniors  on ‘Senior Night’ Monday, but five errors led to a 4-1 loss to Marshall. North Delta collected only three hits as Brasell doubled with senior Ginger Stephens and Hailey Rikard registered singles. Johnson took the pitching loss despite striking out 12 batters.