A trio of area teams is left competing as the MHSAA softball playoffs enter the second round this weekend. In first round series last week, Picayune swept Brookhaven High (15-0, 8-1), Choctaw County swept Bogue Chitto (23-3, 5-1), Sebastopol swept Enterprise (9-7, 10-0) and Northeast Jones eliminated Lawrence County in a series that went to three games.​

 

Loyd Star, Lake High

G1 Friday at Loyd Star 6:30 p.m.

G2 Saturday at Lake High 2 p.m.

G3 Monday at Loyd Star 6:30 p.m.

 

Coach Scott Leggett and his Loyd Star team are 20-5 at press time with a Tuesday night game at Taylorsville left to play. The Hornets had a first-round bye last week after winning Region 7-2A and were supposed to play Taylorsville then, before THS had a flu-outbreak that bumped the game back.

In the Lake Hornets (19-8), they’re facing the defending MHSAA 2A state champs.

“They’re a really scrappy team,” said Leggett. They love to run the bases and that’s one through nine in their lineup. They’re going to lay down bunts and put pressure on our defense.”

 

West Lincoln, Puckett High

G1 Friday at Puckett High 6 p.m.

G2 Saturday at West Lincoln 1 p.m.

G3 Monday at Puckett High 6 p.m.

 

Coach Anita Thornton and her West Lincoln squad won their first-round matchup with Kemper County in blowout fashion last week. WL won the opener 23-5 on the road Friday and closed the series with an 11-0 win on Saturday at home in the 2A playoffs.

The Bears (16-10) got six combined RBIs in the two-game series from junior Deanna Lofton. Eighth grader Caroline Hedgepeth pitched the win for West Lincoln in both games.

Puckett is 19-6 overall and went 10-0 in Region 8-2A. Junior catcher Kinley Ainsworth of Puckett is verbal committed to Copiah-Lincoln CC for softball. She’s hit 10 doubles, nine triples and three home runs in 2022 while posting a .565 batting average.

 

Wesson, Magee High

G1 Friday at Wesson 6 p.m.

G2 Saturday at Magee 12 p.m.

G3 Monday at Wesson 6 p.m.

 

Coach Michelle Nunnery and her Cobras have been off since April 19 when they wrapped up a perfect record in Region 7-3A with a 10-1 win over Franklin County. Wesson is 16-4 overall and went 8-0 against division foes.

Magee (11-4-1) made the second round by sweeping Jefferson Davis County in the first round. Sophomore Mallory Sanders leads Wesson in the circle as she’s thrown nine shutouts this season for the. Cobras.

“We’re going to be favored, but we can’t put the cart before the horse,” said Nunnery. “We’ve just got to play our game. Magee didn’t make it to the second round by losing.”