Kosciusko used eight inning magic once again to move closer to the Region 4-4A softball championship with a 7-6 victory over West Lauderdale. It was the Lady Whippets’ eight straight win improving the record to 20-3-1, 7-0 in Region 4-4A play.
After the game went to an extra inning 4-4, the Lady Knights scored two runs in the top of the eighth. Kosciusko responded with three in the bottom of the inning.
Mary Kimble Price began the inning at second under the international tie breaker rule for extra innings. Singles by Anna Grace Whitehead and Gracie Williams produced the tying runs and a single by Alexandra West drove in Williams with the winning run.
It was the third time in less than a year that Kosciusko won an important game with an eighth inning rally. In last year's 4A state championship game, North Pike scored three runs in the top of the eighth and Kosciusko responded with four in bottom of the inning for a 10-9 victory to claim the Golden Glove. In this year's first game with West Lauderdale, the Lady Whippets scored three runs in the top of the eighth, which was just enough for a 5-4 victory when West Lauderdale scored twice in the bottom of the inning.
“It just comes back to belief in yourself,” Terry said of his team’s ability to pull out wins. “No need to panic. You start with a runner out there. You get a couple of hits and you’re right back in the ball game.”
Last week's game was a back-an-forth affair with five lead changes. After West Lauderdale scored a run in the top of the first, Kosciusko went ahead in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Whitehead.
West Lauderdale went back ahead with two in the third, only to see Kosciusko tie the game in the bottom of the third on a solo homer by Price and regain the lead at 4-3 in the fourth when Williams led off with a single and scored on a single by Campbell Blaine.
West Lauderdale tied it with a run in the fifth, setting the stage for the dramatic eighth.
Whitethead and Williams both had two hits, two RBIs and scored twice. Price’s homer was her fifth in four games. McKinley Maxwell had two singles and a double, with two RBIs for West Lauderdale.
In two earlier 4-4A games last week, Kosciusko blanked Choctaw Central 9-0 and Northeast Lauderdale 10-0. Whitehead pitched a four-hitter against Choctaw Cunty with 12 strikeouts and Williams a five-inning one-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the Northeast game.
Price had a homer and single in both games. Maicee Coleman singled, doubled and tripled against Choctaw Central and Makynlee Dickerson had a double in each game.
A game with Northeast Lauderdale scheduled for Monday has been postponed one week due to rain. The Lady Whippets played Louisville Tuesday and have a home game with Leake Central Thursday. Northeast Lauderdale, Louisville and Leake Central are region games, with Kosciusko needing only one win to clinch the region championship.
If the Lady Whippets win the region, they will get an opening round bye in the 4A playoffs and will face the winner of a series between the second-place team from 8-4A and he third place team from 6-4A in a best-of-three series beginning April 29.
Terry said the team would benefit from the one-week rest resulting from a bye. “We have a few people who have some muscle pulls.”
