Kosciusko had one nail biter and one rout in sweeping a 4A softball playoff series against Pontotoc. The Lady Whippets will play Corinth in the next round, beginning with a home game Thursday.
The pitching of Anna Grace Whitehead and some timely hitting enabled the Lady Whippets to win the opening game at home 2-1. Kosciusko had two big innings with six runs in the second and seven in the fifth to win Monday’s second game at Pontotoc 13-1.
Whitehead was the winning pitcher in both games to improve to 16-3 for the season. She pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts in the first game and a two hitter with seven strikeouts in the second game that ended after five innings by the 10-run mercy rule.
In that first game, Averi Bridgman blanked Kosciusko through four innings and Pontotoc led 1-0 on an unearned run in the first. The Whippets tied it in the fifth when Graycee Rosamond led off with a double, took third on a grounder by Gracie Kate Burrell and scored on a grounder by Kelly Goss.
The winning run came in the bottom of the sixth. Mary Kimble Price led off with a single and continued to second when the ball was misplayed in the outfield. Courtesy runner Kelby Burrell scored on a single by Gracie Williams.
Whitehead wrapped up the victory with a 1-2-3 seventh, two strikeouts and a grounder to Makynlee Dickerson at shortstop.
The Lady Whippets did not need any heroics in the second game. Price had a grand slam and Goss a two-run double during the six-run second. The seven-run fifth included a two-run triple by Campbell Blaine and a run scoring single by Goss.
Price and Goss both had four RBIs. Campbell had two hits, scored twice and drove in two runs and Dickerson had a single, walked twice, drove in two runs and scored two.
Pontotoc’s run came in the third on a triple by Addison Owen.
“We worked hard over the weekend on our approach to hitting Bridgman,” said coach Tony Terry. “She did a great job keeping us off balance Friday. We had a better approach Monday and it paid off.
Game 2 was scheduled for Saturday, but was postponed two days due to rain.
“We had the big hits in big spots that we didn’t get Friday. Price, Goss, Dickerson and Blaine all came up big with runners on base to keep big innings going. AG (Whitehead) threw it well both games and kept them in check.”
Corinth won region 1-4A and swept Houston in the playoffs. The Lady Warriors are 17-5 with an eight-game winning streak.
“Corinth will present a big challenge for us. They have two good pitchers and a team full of kids who can swing it,” Terry said.
The first game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Kosciusko, followed by 6 p.m. Friday at Corinth and 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Kosciusko if needed.
