Kosciusko warmed up for the 4A softball playoffs by scoring 41 runs in 13 innings. After a 12-0 victory over Germantown in five innings, the Lady Whippets wound up the regular season by sweeping a doubleheader against Nanih Waiya, 18-2 in three innings and 11-1 in five innings.
Kosciusko will begin its quest for a third straight 4A state championship with a 6:30 p.m. home game Friday against Pontotoc. Game 2 will be at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Pontotoc, with the third game, if necessary, at home Monday.
“We're playing good ball right now,” said coach Tony Terry. “We hit it really well, we pitched it well and we played defense well. That's the right recipe.”
Mary Kimble Price led the hit parade with a homer on each of the three games, but she had plenty of help up and down the lineup.
In the 11-1 game, ten Lady Whippets hit safely and nine scored. Campbell Blaine had a double and triple, Gracie Williams and Laura Wood both singled and doubled and Grasycee Rosamond had two singles.
Williams allowed two hits and struck out four.
The best news is that Alexandra West batted for the first time this season and doubled in her first at bat. She was the Lady Whippets’ catcher last year when she batted .292. She has been playing rightfield, but a wrist injury had prevented her from batting or catching. Freshman Gracie Kate Burrell took over as catcher in West’s absence and will remain behind the plate, with West in right.
Price and Makynlee Dickerson each drove in four runs in the 18-2 game, Price with a homer and single and Dickerson with a single and double. Kelly Goss had two singles, a double and three RBIs, Blaine had two singles and scored three runs and Laura Wood tripled and scored three times.
As Region 4-4A champion, Kosciusko had an opening round bye in the playoffs. Pontotoc, the third place team in 2-4A swept Yazoo City 11-0 and 17-0 in the opening round.
Pontotoc is 14-10, but struggled on the road with a 4-7 record, including three losses by 10 runs. The Lady Warriors did win nine of their last 11 games.
