MHSAA Softball Championships live updates (May 14 games)
The MHSAA Softball Championships are underway in Hattiesburg at the University of Southern Miss Softball Complex.
Tuesday's slate includes Game 1 of the championship series for Class 1A, Class 2A, Class 6A and Class 4A.
MORE: MHSAA 2024 Softball Tournament Brackets for all classes
Stay locked in right here for all the latest updates from the MHSAA Softball Championships.
Class 1A - Stringer 8, Pine Grove 1
The Red Devils broke out the bats in an 8-1 blowout win in Game 1 of the Class 1A Softball Championship series against Pine Grove (24-12).
Junior Madilyn Graham was electric on the mound for Stringer (26-5). The right hander gave up just one run on two hits — thanks to a seventh-inning homer by Pine Grove’s Lexi Beard — and struck out seven batters while issuing a single walk.
Graham started hot, but truly locked in after the Red Devils put up four runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth.
"That was huge for my confidence," Graham said. "It took a lot of the pressure off me and allowed me to just focus on throwing strikes and being aggressive. We got here two years ago and came up short, so this year we're determined to finish it."
Jaycee Holifield and Kayleigh Douglas provided the majority of the offense for the Red Devils. Holyfield went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs, while Douglas went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and scored three times.
Game 2 in the series is set for 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Class 2A - East Union 3, Pisgah 0
East Union's two-time Miss Softball Lucy Cochran was as-advertised in Tuesday's Class 2A Championship series opener. The Freshman gave up two hits, struck out nine and walked two batters in a complete-game shutout for the Urchins (30-4).
East Union plated one run in the first on a throwing error, then added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh. One run came home on an RBI groundout from Marley Clayton, and Cochran helped her own cause with an RBI single.
Eighth grader Alyssa McMurtrey was the tough-luck loser for Pisgah (27-8). The left-hander gave up two earned runs in seven innings with two strikeouts, three walks and eight hits allowed.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Class 6A - South Panola 2, Hancock 1
Reigning Class 6A Miss Softball Sadie Bright spun a gem for the Tigers, going all seven innings and striking out 11 in a 2-1 win for South Panola (29-5).
Her performance was good enough to win a pitching battle against Hancock ace Teegan Dewitt, who gave up two unearned runs on five hits in seven innings.
"This was a pitcher's duel for sure," South Panola coach Ashleigh Hicks said. "I thought both starters competed about as well as you'd expect. Somebody had to win, and I'm glad it was us."
Hancock (22-5-1) took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning on a an Abigail Carter RBI single to right that brought home Ashlynn Gaston.
But South Panola evened things back up in the sixth when Shania Fondren doubled to right and Kailey McKinney came around to score on a throwing error.
The go-ahead run came in the top of the seventh, when Kaleigh Cobb singled and went first-to-third on another throwing error. She scored one play later on a sac fly from freshman Hailey Hefner.
Game 2 in the series is set for 2:15 Thursday afternoon.
Class 4A - West Lauderdale 5, Purvis 1
As the defending state champs, West Lauderdale has played all season with a bullseye on their back.
It hasn’t bothered the Knights (21-3) yet, and it didn’t seem to phase them in Tuesday’s 4A championship series opener.
Class 4A Miss Softball Breelyn Cain went all seven innings in the circle, giving up one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Addison Cornish and Courtney Lewis paced the offense with two hits apiece. Cornish laced a double and a triple and drove in a pair of runs. Lewis had a single, a double and drove in a run.
The Knights tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second after Purvis (27-5) scored in the bottom of the first. West Lauderdale scored the go-ahead run in the third inning when Caroline Walker came home on a wild pitch.
Game 2 in the series is schedule for 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
