Here is a recap of who won and whose season is over following the opening round of playoff softball for MHSAA 1A-4A programs from around the area. Brookhaven High, a 5A member school, will play its opening round of postseason action this week.

 

Loyd Star

The first round of the MHSAA 2A playoffs saw Loyd Star win twice over Pelahatchie, 9-4 and 8-0. The Hornets and coach John Smith move on to face Bay Springs in the second round. Game one of their series will be at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Loyd Star. Game two will be at Bay Springs on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. If a third game is needed, it’ll be played back at LS later in the week.

The Hornets are 19-6 overall while Bay Springs sits at 7-10 on the season. The winner of this series will move on to face either Puckett High (19-6) or Lake High (15-11) in the 2A quarterfinals.

Pelahatchie led 2-0 after the first inning of the opener between the schools on Friday, before the Hornets fought back to tie things at 2-2 which is where the score stood before it went to an extra inning in which Loyd Star scored seven runs to get the win.

Adi Holcomb and Maddie Kate Britt each blasted a double for the Hornets in game one and Kenzie Kay Lofton added a triple for LS in that game too. Loyd Star starting pitcher Layla Burt struck out 14 in game one and Pelahatchie got 12 strikeouts from senior pitcher Ava Till.

Burt went on to strike out nine in earning the shutout victory in game two. Britt also doubled in that game and drove in three runs.

 

Enterprise

The Enterprise Yellow Jackets faced little resistance in the opening round of the 1A playoffs from the Noxapater Tigers. Coach Alicia Smith and the Jackets beat Noxapater 16-0 in game one and then moved on to the second round with an 11-1 victory.

Junior pitcher Terra Vining struck out seven and gave up no hits in the five-inning opener. Vining was a walked batter away from a perfect outing. Miranda Anderson pitched the game two victory, striking out five in five innings.

Molly Williamson and Caitlin Case hit a double and a triple respectively for EAC in game one. Natalie Williams and Rainee Falvey hit a double and a triple, respectively, for EAC in game two.

Falvey, Case, Williams, and Williamson each drove in two runs apiece in game one. Case had another two RBI effort in game two.

Next up for the Yellow Jackets (12-9) is a second-round pairing with Sacred Heart Catholic (17-2).

Game one will be Thursday at Sacred Heart in Hattiesburg with a 6 p.m. first pitch. Game two is scheduled to be played at EAC on Thursday at 6 p.m. SH will host game three on Saturday if it’s needed.

 

Wesson

Wesson and coach Michelle Nunnery faced little opposition from their northern neighbors at Hazlehurst in the opening round of the 3A playoffs.

The Cobras and Indians played two on Thursday, with Wesson winning the first game 18-0 and the second one 15-0.

Next up for the Cobras is a highly anticipated second round showdown with West Marion. 

Last year the teams met in the quarterfinals, with Wesson taking game one 2-1 at home and West Marion returning the favor by winning 7-3 in game two. Wesson clinched the series with a 3-0 victory at home that put them in the 3A semifinals.

This is the third-straight year for the schools to face off in the postseason. In 2023, Wesson won 6-5 in game one and West Marion took game two 10-5. That set up a series clinching win for West Marion that came via an 8-7 score in nine innings.

Wesson (16-6) saw senior pitcher Laney Kate Earls get the game one win over Hazlehurst with five strikeouts and one walk in three innings of no-hit ball. Senior slugger Mary Hynum drove in four runs in that win.

Earls pitched game two and struck out three while giving up one hit.

West Marion (22-4) swept McLaurin (13-0, 16-0) in its first-round matchup.

Game one of the series will be at Wesson on Thursday at 6 p.m. Game two will be at West Marion on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

If a third game is needed, it’ll be played at Wesson on Saturday.

 

Lawrence County

Head coach Alexandria Harris-Roberson and her Cougars cruised into the second round of the 4A bracket with a sweep of Forrest County AHS (12-0, 14-0) in the opening round.

Next up for the Cougars (18-10) is a second-round matchup with the Pass Christian Pirates (17-7). Pass Christian defeated Mendenhall in the first round.

LC senior pitcher Laicie Bridges struck out five in the opener against FCAHS and junior hurler Marleigh Grace Russell struck out eight and gave up just four hits in game two.

Senior Gelya Sanders hit a home run in game one and drove in three RBIs for the Cougars.

Russell, Bridges, junior Erika Lambert, Kylee McLeod, and Addie Raye Pennington each drove in two runs apiece in game two.

 

Brookhaven High

Coach Mandy Vinson and her Brookhaven High Panthers (16-12) will take on the East Central Hornets (22-5) in the opening round of the 5A bracket.

EC will host game one on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Game two will take place at BHS on Friday at 4 p.m. East Central will host game three if needed on Saturday.

BHS last played a week ago, pounding Natchez 19-2 to finish the regular season.

The winner of this series moves on to face the winner between North Pike (8-17) and Wayne County (9-13) in the second round.

 

Bogue Chitto

The 2025 softball season ended for the Bobcats with a pair of losses to Raleigh (14-4, 9-6) in the opening round of the 2A bracket. Harper Kyzar, Kylee Reynolds, and Raylee Chisolm had one RBI each for BC head coach Austin Hood in game one.

Raleigh got 14 runs in the opener on 19 hits.

Reynolds and Cailyn McClendon each drove in two runs in game two, with McClendon leading the way via a double.

The Bobcats, second place finishers in Region 7-2A behind Loyd Star, have no seniors on the roster this season.

Raleigh (12-15) will face Mize (14-9) in the second round of the 2A bracket.

 

West Lincoln

The 2025 softball season ended for the Bears with a pair of losses to Pisgah (15-3, 14-3) in the opening round of the 2A bracket. WL will be under new leadership next season, as coach Anita Thornton recently stepped down from her position as head coach at the school.

West Lincoln does not have a senior on its 2025 roster.

Kaylee Wallace and Baleigh Griffith each had an RBI in game one. Caroline Hedgepeth, Ryleigh Purdy, and Kylie Jarancik all drove in a run apiece in game two for the Bears, with Hedgepeth and Wallace each slugging a double at the plate for the Bears (7-17).

Pisgah (20-8) moves on to face Clarkdale (20-8) in the second round of the 2A bracket.