Lady Tigers go 3-0-1 in Southaven tournament

By Myra Bean
The South Panola varsity Lady Tigers participated in the Southaven Morris Hunter Memorial Invitational tournament Friday and Saturday. South Panola played four games and walked away with a 3-0-1 record.
South Panola had little trouble with Olive Branch in the first game Friday evening with a 10-0 shutout in four innings. The tournament was played on an hour-and-15-minute schedule.
The second game was totally opposite against Covington, Tenn., as they staged a late game comeback to win 8-6. Saturday afternoon’s first game was a lesson in holding off a late game attack Northpoint Christian to win 4-2. In the final game against Lewisburg Saturday evening, the Lady Tigers did not score until the final inning to tie the game 2-2.
SP 10, Olive Branch 0
Khalena Hentz and Morgan Parker led at the plate going 2-for-3 each. Parker’s single in the second inning drove home three runs, Chloe Morgan, Hentz and Haven Dulin.
Chloe Morgan scored three runs in the game as she went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Ali Cummins had two RBIs as she went 1-for-3 with one run. Sydney Morgan, Kaitlyn Tidwell and Nautica Edwards also got one single each.
Tidwell pitched the complete game for the win as she struck out one and gave up five hits.
South Panola 8, Covington 5
Covington took a 4-0 lead in top of the second inning.
Rebecca Cook pitched in relief of Tidwell in bottom of the third inning. South Panola went on the attack in top of the fourth and scored all eight runs. Chloe Morgan was the leadoff and doubled. She scored on Hentz’s single RBI.
With the bases loaded, Sydney Morgan’s single drove home Hentz. Taylor Utz’s double drove home Dulin and Parker. Edwards grounded out to second and drove home Sydney Morgan. Tra’Meisha Toliver who was pinch running for Utz scored on Chloe Morgan’s single. Mallory Myers and Chloe Morgan scored the last two runs on Ali Cummins’ single RBI to right field.
Cook allowed one run in two innings and got the win while the Lady Tiger defense shut down the Covington offense to secure the win.
SP 4, Northpoint Christian 2
South Panola led 4-1 most of the game but Northpoint never gave up. They pushed the score to 4-2 in bottom of the fourth. South Panola held off a late charge in the fifth and sixth innings as Northpoint loaded the bases in the fifth but could not get the runs home.
South Panola’s two runs in top of the first came on Myers and Chloe Morgan scoring on RBIs by Cummins and Dulin, respectively.
Madison Morgan was the pinch runner for Utz who had singled to get on base. She scored on a stolen base in the second.
The last run was a double by Sydney Morgan who scored on Edwards’ single RBI in top of the fourth.
Tidwell pitched the complete game in six innings for the win.
SP 2, Lewisburg 2
Dulin became the hero of the weekend as her double RBI single in fifth inning drove home Myers and Chloe Morgan who had singled to get on base with two outs. Lewisburg had a 2-0 lead and the runs tied the game which is how it ended.
The Lady Tigers had a hard time getting on base and when they did no one was able to score. Some of the players said Lewisburg’s pitcher threw slower than they were used to and their timing was off.
The Lady Tigers game with Lake Cormorant scheduled for yesterday was postponed due to wet fields and is rescheduled for next Wednesday, April 12 at 5:30 p.m.
Today, the Lady Tigers will host Tupelo in a district contest at 5 and 6 p.m. and will host Columbus in a district doubleheader Thursday beginning at 4:30 p.m.