By Myra Bean
The South Panola Lady Tigers finished off spring break in style by upsetting nationally-ranked Neshoba Central Lady Rockets 4-2 Saturday afternoon.
South Panola is taking its momentum into the district opener tonight against Tupelo where the Tiger baseball and softball fans are asked to paint the stands red. The Lady Tigers will start at 5 p.m. with the junior varsity game followed by the varsity at 6 p.m.
The baseball Tigers will start at 4 p.m. with the jr. varsity followed by the varsity at 6 p.m.
Lady Tiger senior Caroline Dickins pitched a one-hitter complete game in 5.2 innings to get the win. She struck out six of the 21 batters she faced and allowed two walks and two unearned runs.
Neshoba Central came into the season ranked No. 52 nationally by MaxPreps and as the No. 1 team in Mississippi. They have won four straight 5A fastpitch state championships and three straight slow-pitch titles. The Lady Rockets ended last season 31-1 as the No. 4 nationally-ranked team and ranked No. 15 on Maxpreps Xcellent 25.
They are the only nationally-ranked team from Mississippi on the list.
The Neshoba Tournament was shortened due to the rains that moved through the area on Friday and only Saturday games were played.
South Panola had four hits in the game. Neshoba has only given up eight runs and 16 hits this season in the recorded games. South Panola has given up 40 hits and 15 runs on the season.
Leading the Lady Tigers at the plate was Chloe Morgan who went 1-for-3 with a triple and RBI (run batted in).
Alli Cummins and Mallory Meyers both went 1-for-3 while Morgan Parker went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.
Sydney Morgan was 0-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt, RBI and one run.
Amber Helmes was hit by a pitch, had a walk and a run. Nautica Edwards had a run as a courtesy runner. Haley Reid got hit by a pitch and scored a run.
Neshoba freshman pitcher Aspen Wesley struck out a season high 11 of the 27  Lady Tigers batters she faced, allowed two walks, four hits and one earned run.
South Panola 6, Eupora 3
In an earlier game in the tournament, South Panola defeated Eupora 6-3.
Dickins got the win pitching the complete game in five innings. She struck out five of the 21 batters she face, allowed six hits, three earned runs and no walks.
The game was tied at two going into top of the third inning. Eurpora took a 3-2 lead in top of the fourth, but the Lady Tigers sealed the deal with a  four-run fourth inning.
The Lady Tigers only recorded two hits but made Eupora pay with the six walks they issued.
Dickins was 1-for-1 with a walk and three RBIs. Parker got the other hit.
Chloe Morgan had two runs, two walks, and one RBI. Helmes was 0-for-1 with one walk and one run.
Madison Morgan scored one run as a courtesy runner.
Taylor Utz had one walk. Meyers went 0-for-2 with one walk and two runs. Reid’s sacrifice bunt drove home one run.