By Ashley Crutcher
The South Panola fastpitch softball teams traveled to Southaven this weekend for the Morris Hunter Invitational at Greenbrook Ballpark. On Friday, the Lady Tigers varsity shut out Lake Comorant and Senatobia 4-0 in both games.
Saturday morning, the Lady Tigers’ Junior High defeated the Bartlett Panthers 7-2. The Lady Tigers varsity team was unable to produce runs against Dyersburg with a final score of 3-0. The Lady Tigers varsity run-ruled White Station 13-0 in their final game of the tournament.
In their first game Friday the Lady Tigers varsity faced Lake Comorant. On offense, shortstop Mallory Myers got on base with a bunt and made it home on a double to left center by pitcher Caroline Dickins Dickins. Myers and Dickins got on base again with a bunt and Haley Reid’s single loaded the bases. Ali Cummins doubled to left field on the first pitch allowing Myers, Dickins and Reid to score the last runs of the game. 
On defense, the Lady Tigers varsity team played a three up three down defense each inning, shutting out the Lady Gators.
Dickins struck out four of the 15 batters she faced and threw out a bunt to first for another out.
Center fielder Chloe Morgan Caught three fly balls. Third baseman Morgan Parker threw two grounders to first baseman Ali Cummins getting two out in the game. Maci Kirkland caught two fly balls in right field and second baseman Haley Reid caught a fly.
In the last play of the game, a Lady Gator hit a grounder to Reid, who tossed the ball to Myers at second. Myers threw to Cummins at first making a double play ending the game.
In their second game, the Lady Tigers held the Senatobia Warriors to no runs as the Lady Tigers scored all four of their runs in the first inning. Chloe Morgan led on offense with a single to third.
Myers bunted and made it safe to second on an error as the Lady Warriors third baseman made a bad throw to first allowing Morgan to score. Dickins’ double to center drove home Myers. Ali Cummins singled to left center allowed Dickins to score. A single by Sydney Morgan drove home Cummins for the last run of the game. The Lady Tigers beat the Lady Warriors 4-0. 
On Saturday, the Lady Tigers varsity played their first game against Dyersburg and lost to the Lady Trojans 3-0. Neither team allowed runs in the first two innings. In the top of the third, a double to center and left allowed the first run of the game for the Lady Trojans. The Lady Trojans were able to score two more runs in the fourth as four batters got on base with a single, with the first two batters scoring for the Lady Trojans. 
In their final game, the Lady Tigers varsity trampled White Station Lady Spartans 13-0. Maci Kirkland pitched for the Lady Tigers and struck out six of 11 batters she faced. Reid threw one batter out at first and Morgan Parker threw out two at first. 
On offense, Myers got to third on a bunt due to an error on the first baseman.
Myers was driven home on a sacrifice play by Chloe Morgan.
In the second inning, the Lady Tigers scored 10 more runs as they batted through the lineup twice. Reid singled passed second and was able to score on a sacrifice play by Morgan Parker.
Sydney Morgan and Rebekah Garner walked as Amber Helmes bunted, loading the bases. Myers singled passed short stop driving home Sydney Morgan. Chloe Morgan hit a triple to left center allowing Garner, Helmes and Myers to score. C. Morgan scored after stealing home. Dickins, Cummins, and Reid were walked loading the bases. Parker’s walk drove in Dickins. Sydney Morgan hit a pop fly to shortstop, who dropped the ball, allowing Cummins and Reid to score.
Garner’s walk loaded the bases again. Two more walks by Bethany Cotten and Jailia Sanford drove in Parker and Morgan. 
In the third inning, Aubrianna Craven singled to left center. Kaitlyn Tidwell made it to first on a bunt and a walk by Darbi Smith loaded the bases. Parker’s single past third drove home two more runs. The game was called leaving the final score 13-0.
Errors by the Lady Spartans allowed the Lady Tigers to score many of the runs as if the ball were a bar of soap that just kept slipping out of their hands. 
The Lady Tigers varsity and junior varsity will travel to St. Benedict in Cordova, Tenn. tonight to face the Lady Eagles at 5 and 6 p.m.