MONTICELLO-The Lawrence County Lady Cougars defeated Northeast Lauderdale 6-0 on Saturday, completing a 2-game sweep for the Lady Cougars, and advancing Lawrence County to the 4A South State championship round in fastpitch softball. The Lady Cougars positioned themselves for the series clincher by winning at Northeast Lauderdale on Friday, 4-2.

With those results, Lawrence County improved to 27-4 on the season. The Lady Cougars will take on the winner of a best-of-three series that pitted division rival North Pike against Newton County. The best-of-three South State championship round will take place on Friday and Saturday, with the Lady Cougars hosting a single game Friday evening.

“We’re honored to still be playing,” said Lady Cougar coach Mark Howard, who has taken the helm of the LCHS team while his wife, Meleah, is out on maternity leave. “Our girls have done a good job all season and that’s certainly been the case in the playoffs. The pressure of the playoffs-of going deep into the playoffs-hasn’t bothered them.”

Northeast Lauderdale was the Lady Cougars’ third-round opponent. LCHS beat Quitman 2 games to 1 in their first playoff matchup, then swept 2 straight games from Poplarville. Their win Saturday over Northeast Lauderdale was the Lady Cougars’ sixth win in 7 playoff games.

LCHS right-hander Elizabeth Smith was rock-solid on Saturday, as was her defense. Shortstop Alyssa Pendergrass and second baseman Madison Hyde were each responsible for 6 putouts on Saturday. A running catch by right-fielder Callie Fortenberry ended Northeast’s only real threat in the top of the fifth. Smith scattered 4 hits and walked only 2. She faced only 27 Northeast Lauderdale batters in recording 21 outs.

“We pitched and defended well today,” Howard said, “and we found enough offense to win. Tiera’s (Collins) hit in the bottom of the fifth was a big one.”

Lawrence County scored 2 in the bottom of the first, largely thanks to a Pendergrass leadoff double and a critical error on a ground ball hit by Tiera Collins. In the fifth, with the bases loaded, 2 out, and 2 strikes on Collins, she laced a single to center. When the ball went through Northeast center-fielder Kennedy Cummings hands, Collins and all 3 baserunners came around to score. The series was basically done.

Collins, Pendergrass, Fortenberry, Alexsundria Thomas and Jamie Martin each had hits for the Lady Cougars. Zy Harris had 2 hits to lead Northeast Lauderdale. Lady Trojan pitcher Brittany Baty struck out 4.

On Friday in Game 1, the Lady Cougars broke a scoreless tie with 3 runs in the top of the fourth, and added 1 more in the fifth. Pendergrass, Hyde and Alexsundria Thomas each had hits in the fourth-inning rally, and Hyde had an RBI double in the fifth.

Northeast Lauderdale rallied for 2 in the bottom of the sixth and left the bases loaded. The Lady Trojans had plenty of chances on Friday, but left a total of 10 runners on base.

Pendergrass and Hyde each had 2 hits for Lawrence County. Smith, Fortenberry and Alexsundria Thomas also had hits. Catcher Katy Nelson led Northeast Lauderdale with 3 singles.

The Lady Trojans, coached by Sean Gerald, finished the season with a 17-12 record.