Kosciusko won 4A state softball championship last year but couldn’t solve 2A champion Lake. The teams met twice, and Lake won both by the identical score of 7-6.
It was a different story when the Lady Whippets and the Lady Hornets met Monday. A really big night by Mary Kimble Price led Kosciusko to a 12-4 victory.
“In all facets we played well,” said coach Tony Terry. “We hit the ball extremely well considering it was a really good pitcher we were facing.”
Price was a one-girl wrecking crew with two homers, two singles and six RBIs. Campbell Blaine had three hits, Gracie Williams and Ally Moore two each.
Anna Grace Whitehead allowed eight hits and fanned five.
The teams will meet again March 21.
In a game last week, it took only two innings for Kosciusko to amass 19 runs in a 19-0 victory over Starkville that came to a merciful end after Starkville batted in the top of the third. The Lady Whippets scored six runs in the first and added 13 in the second.
“We did swing the bat well,” Terry said. “We had 16 hits in two innings which is kind of amazing. We hit the ball and hit it some more. Just throwing the ball up and hitting it you might not have 16 hits in two innings.”
The offense was up and down the lineup with 10 extra base hits. Whitehead doubled and homered, Price had two doubles and a single, Lizzie Kate Jones three singles and four RBIs, Maicee Coleman tripled, Blaine, Williams, Makynee Dickerson, Anna Mancell and Gracee Rosamond doubled, and Alexandra West singled twice.
Eleven players scored runs, led by Whitehead with three.
Whitehead pitched the first inning and struck out the side. Price fanned six and allowed one hit in two innings.
Whitehead is a sophomore transfer from Winston Academy who has made her presence felt with the bat and in the circle. “She has been a big plus, no double about it,” Terry said. “She fit right in. A great teammate.”
When not pitching she plays in the infield.
The game was played on a damp field. “The field was so wet we could barely stand up in the outfield,” Terry said. “We were just trying to get in a game because we had not been on the field in 10 days.”
Scheduled games last week with Choctaw County and McLaurin were rained out. The Lady Whippets played county rival Ethel Tuesday, will be at Ethel Thursday and home to Enterprise-Clarke Saturday.
