Senatobia softball recently closed out the homestretch of the regular season with a sweep of Byhalia and losses to North Pontotoc and South Pontotoc.
A 16-0 victory against Byhalia on April 8 started the stretch of games, as the Lady Warriors scored six runs in the first inning and 10 more in the second, ending the game in a three-inning run-rule.
Senatobia finished with seven base hits in the win, led by two each from Anna Hollis Faulkner and Nadeah Newson, including a home run for both players. Bayleigh Sims pitched all five innings for the Lady Warriors, dishing out five strikeouts.
Both teams faced each other again on April 10, with SHS once again picking up a 19-1 run-rule win in three innings. The Lady Warriors racked up 11 runs in the first inning, effectively putting the game away early, before adding five in the second and three more in the third inning.
Byhalia did manage to scrape across a run in the bottom of the third inning, but it wasn’t enough to continue the game.
Senatobia finished with 15 base hits in the victorious effort, highlighted by a 3-for-3 effort from Taryn Hale, including a home run. Faulkner, Sims, Maci Claire Moore and Bailey Thomas finished with two base hits apiece, while Savanna Hudspeth tossed eight strikeouts over three innings.
Unfortunately, the final two games did not result in wins for the Lady Warriors. A 4-1 lead against North Pontotoc on April 12 dissipated with a five-run rally from the Lady Vikings in the seventh inning, as SHS fell 6-4.
North Pontotoc opened the game with a run in the top of the first, but Senatobia responded with two in the home half of the same inning. The Lady Warriors added another in the third and one more in the fifth, as Kelsey Hoffman kept the Lady Vikings scoreless for five straight innings.
However, a single and a hit-by-pitch with one out put two North Pontotoc runners on base in the seventh inning. A walk then loaded the bases and a triple cleared the bags, tying the game at 4-4. Another walk and a two-run single followed, giving the lead back to the Lady Vikings.
Senatobia got a runner on base in the bottom of the seventh with an error at first base, but the Lady Warriors were retired over the next three batters, securing the win for North Pontotoc.
Both teams combined for nine base hits each, with Moore and Newson totaling two apiece for SHS. Hoffman lasted all seven innings in the circle, finishing with six strikeouts against four walks and six earned runs allowed.
In Tuesday’s finale at South Pontotoc, the Lady Warriors’ 1-0 lead faded to a 6-1 deficit in the bottom of the first inning, as the Lady Cougars picked up a 10-3 win.
Senatobia tallied another run in the top of the third inning, closing the gap to 6-2, only for South Pontotoc to tack on three more in the fourth and another in the fifth.
SHS finished with just six base hits, with Hale and Thomas combining for four of those, highlighted by a solo home run from Thomas. Sims and Hudspeth shared duties in the circle, with the duo combining for two strikeouts against five walks issued.
Senatobia concludes the regular season with a 10-9 overall record and will be the No. 3 seed from Region 2-4A. The Lady Warriors are paired with Kosciusko in the first round of the MHSAA Class 4A Playoffs, scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 17.
Kosciusko is the second-seeded team from Region 3-4A and finished the regular season with a record of 15-8. The Lady Whippets will host Game 1 on Thursday against SHS at 6:30 P.M., with the second game scheduled for a 6:30 P.M. first pitch on Friday, April 18 in Senatobia.
If needed, the two teams will play a winner-take-all Game 3 on Saturday, April 19 in Kosciusko at 6:30 P.M.
