Travel to Olive Branch today, Tupelo on Thursday

By Myra Bean

The voices of the South Panola fastpitch team and coaches were almost gone after cheering each other to a district win over last year’s 6A state runner up Tupelo Golden Wave 5-2 Friday night in Batesville.

Friday’s game was the end of a long week for the softball team as varsity played four games.

They are 6-6 overall and 3-0 in the first week of district action with a doubleheader win over Columbus Tuesday, 14-2 and 16-0.

Thursday, South Panola hosted its Strike Out Cancer (SOFC) game and lost to Grenada 9-6 in non-conference action.

SP 5, Tupelo 2

South Panola was slow at the start and spotted Tupelo one run in the first inning. Tupelo scored on a passed ball after getting on base on a fielder’s choice. Tupelo got a runner to third base but the Lady Tiger defense shut them down.

South Panola tied the game at one in bottom of the second inning.

Lena Grace Franklin hit a triple to lead off the inning and scored on a single RBI by Molly Seay.

Franklin led at the plate going 2-for-4 with two runs and two hits. Seay was 1-for-3 with one run, one RBI.

The Lady Tigers added two more runs in the second to take a 3-1 lead which would stand until the fifth inning.

Seay scored on Bailey Ware single. Ware was moved to the leadoff batter position after her early week work. Ware went 2-for-4 with two hits and one RBI.

Gracey Harbour got her first varsity start at center field. She made it to first on an error in the second inning and scored on a Bailey Russell single RBI. Harbour went 1-for-3 with two runs.

The Lady Tigers scratched across two more runs in the sixth inning, Franklin scored her second run with the bases loaded and Russell drew a walk. Harbour scored on a wild pitch from third base after a single to get on base.

Tupelo got one more run in the top of the sixth inning on a single RBI, but with the combined pitching of Kaitlyn Tidwell and Rebecca Cook, along with the defensive outfield, they were able to keep Tupelo off the basepaths.

Tidwell got the start on the mound and pitched three total innings, allowing five hits, two runs and striking out one.

Cook pitched four total scoreless innings in relief allowing two hits.

Grenada 9, SP 6

Thursday was a tough matchup for the Lady Tigers.

The team honored three members of the community who are in a battle with the cancers in their body: Lily Baker, Patti Flint and Shaylynn Thompson. They each threw out the first pitch of the game in which they were honored. Thompson threw out the first pitch of the varsity game.

Grenada led 2-0 after the first inning and then took a 4-1 lead in the third. The Tigers tied the score at four in bottom of the third with two outs and took the 5-4 lead in the fifth.

Grenada used a five-run seventh inning to retake the lead and the game limiting South Panola to one run in bottom of the seventh. Bailey Ware led at the plate going 2-for-4 with one run, two hits including a double and two RBI.

Franklin went 2-for-4 with one run. Tyler Hamby went 1-for-4 with two runs, one walk and two RBI.

SP 14, Columbus 2

South Panola took care of Columbus in four innings in the first of a doubleheader afternoon.

South Panola took a 7-0 lead into the second inning. Columbus avoided the shut out with a homerun over the right field fence in the second inning.

Franklin led at the plate going 3-for-4 with four runs, one RBI, one triple. Molly Seay went 2-for-4 with two runs. Avery Seay went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs. Gracey Harboud went 1-for-1 with a double.

Ware went 1-for-3 with two runs and two walks.

SP 16, Columbus 0

South Panola put away Columbus in three innings in the nightcap. A 12-run second inning put the Tigers over the top. The Lady Tigers loaded the bases in the third and K.J. Hentz hit a bases- clearing triple, a double and had five RBI to lead at the plate.

Ali Cummins had two doubles and four RBI Bailey Ware had one double and two RBIs.

Molly Seay had two RBI.

The Lady Tigers return to action today in Olive Branch (JV and Varsity) at 5 and 6 p.m. They travel to Tupelo (JV and Varsity) for the second game of the district series Thursday at 5 and 6 p.m.

Cutline:   South Panola fastpitch head coach Ashleigh Hicks talks with senior Ali Cummins during a timeout in the Strike Out for Cancer game here Thursday. (Myra Bean)