It took five games total and a three-game series against Leake Academy, but Magnolia Heights left Cleveland as the MAIS Class AAAA North Half champions early last week.
MHS started the playoff tournament on Sept. 26 with a pair of solid 10-0 victories against Starkville Academy and Washington, returning to Cleveland for the championship series last Tuesday against Leake Academy.
Magnolia Heights opened by scoring a pair of runs across the first two innings, gaining a quick 4-0 advantage on the Lady Rebels. A scoreless third inning soon gave way to Leake’s first run in the top of the fourth, only for MHS to respond with another run in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead to 5-1.
After Leake responded with another run across the top half of the fifth inning, the Lady Chiefs added three more in the bottom of the fifth for a commanding 8-2 advantage.
Although Leake Academy plated two more runs in the sixth and seventh innings, Magnolia Heights held firm behind a 10-strikeout performance from Elena Thompson to take the 8-4 triumph in Game 1.
Morgan Jennings and Peyton McMinn led the Lady Chiefs’ efforts at the plate, finishing with three hits apiece and five RBIs combined. In total, MHS outhit Leake Academy 12-4.
A defensive battle in the second game would eventually set up extra innings. Although MHS started with a 2-0 lead after the fourth inning, the Lady Rebels pushed across a pair of runs in the fifth and seventh innings to tie the contest at 2-2. The extra eighth inning proved to be costly for the Lady Chiefs, as Leake Academy scored five runs in the top frame to earn a 7-2 victory and set up a winner take all Game 3.
Haylee Alberson struck out seven and both teams finished with 11 hits apiece.
After going scoreless through the first four innings, Leake Academy struck first in the clinching contest, scoring a single run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Neither team scored in the sixth and MHS went to the seventh inning with its back to the wall, three outs away from losing the North Half title.
That’s when the Lady Chiefs would create some late inning magic. Behind hits from Jennings and Bailey Carpenter, Magnolia Heights scored four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 4-1 lead.
With the tables turned, Thompson closed out a solid seven-inning effort by keeping Leake Academy off the board, sealing the MAIS Class AAAA North Half title for coach Brett Prosek and the Lady Chiefs.
Thompson finished with nine strikeouts and the Lady Chiefs totaled seven hits, four from Carpenter and Jennings. Emerson Yount also finished with the lone RBI for Magnolia Heights.
Unfortunately, the MAIS Class AAAA overall tournament wasn’t as kind to the Lady Chiefs last Saturday in Magee. MHS fell 3-1 in the opening game to Simpson Academy and defeated Bayou Academy 9-6 in the losers’ bracket contest, before Leake Academy exacted revenge on MHS in a 9-5 victory, ending the Lady Chiefs’ season at 21-8-2.
