The Kosciusko fast-pitch softball team is headed to Hattiesburg to play for a state championship after the Lady Whippets won a second straight MHSAA Class 4A North State crown Monday night.
Kosy girls continued a remarkable postseason run by winning 5-2 over visiting Pontotoc Monday night, completing a sweep of their best-of-three, North State championship series with the Lady Warriors. The Lady Whippets won 4-0 at Pontotoc last Friday in the series opener, and those two wins came on the heels of an exciting, three-game series win over Tishomingo County earlier last week.
Coach Tony Terry’s squad is now 29-4 overall this season.
“Super proud of the girls and their effort,” Terry said. “They’ve really battled this entire season and especially in the playoffs.”
Kosciusko will face 30-2 Lawrence County in the Class 4A title series, which will be held this year at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
Game 1 of the best-of-three set is scheduled for 4 p.m., Thursday, with Game 2 slated for 4 p.m. on Friday. The third and if-necessary game will be Saturday at a time to be announced.
In Monday night’s North State-clinching win, Maddy Gilmore threw a complete game in the circle, striking out three and allowing just three hits to get the win.
Gilmore also added a double and a single to help her own cause, while Abigail Myers tripled and singled for the Lady Whippets.
Kelly Hood doubled, while Josie Meggs, AnnaLeigh Jones and Sarah Caroline Henderson each had singles. Hood, Meggs, Jones, Campbell Blaine and Laken Milner scored once each.
Last Friday, the Lady Whippets scored twice each in the fourth and sixth innings and got a shutout in the circle from Katie Mitchell in a 4-0 win.
Mitchell allowed five hits and struck out three in a complete-game performance and also had one of her team’s 11 hits.
Gilmore, Myers and Jones all had three hits, while Madeline McCown singled and scored.
Jones was 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBIs; Gilmore was 3-for-3 with two doubles; and Myers was 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
The Lady Whippets started the series with Tishomingo County last Monday with a 2-1 road win at Iuka, scoring twice in the sixth inning.
Hood tripled, singled, scored and had an RBI while Henderson had a double.
Myers, Meggs, Jones and Gabbie Kelley all singled, with Meggs getting an RBI and Kelley scoring once.
Mitchell was the winning pitcher, giving up no earned runs in a seven-inning, complete-game effort with eight strikeouts.
Tishomingo County won Game 2 at Kosciusko Tuesday, when the Lady Whippets had just four hits.
McCown tripled and scored, while Meggs and Henderson both had a single and an RBI and Mitchell a single. Kelley scored once.
Gilmore was the loser in the circle, striking out three and giving up three earned runs in seven innings.
The Lady Whippets rebounded in a big way, scoring four times in the third and decisive game to win 7-3 and claim the series.
Hood tripled, singled, scored three times and drove in a pair of runs while Myers tripled, singled, scored twice and also had an RBI.
Meggs also had a triple, one run and one RBI while Gilmore singled and drove in two runs. Mitchell had a single and an RBI; McCown singled; and Kelley scored once.
Mitchell struck out six in a complete-game effort, giving up two earned runs in the pitching win.
