HATTIESBURG — South Panola softball was one out away from the MHSAA Class 6A state championship, but Hancock put two runners on base via single and walk in the top of the seventh inning. A base hit to the outfield would’ve tied it.
After the walk, South Panola third baseman Shania Fondren jogged over to the circle and had a simple message for pitcher Sadie Bright.
“I just told her, ‘Let’s go ahead and get this last out,' ’’ she said.
Bright proceeded to strike out the Hancock batter on three pitches to seal the 1-0 victory and the state championship Thursday at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. South Panola (30-5) won Game 1 on Tuesday 2-1.
It’s South Panola softball’s third state title and first since 2008. It also took some of the sting out of losing in last season’s state championship against Northwest Rankin.
“We talked about how that felt all year long,” South Panola coach Ashleigh Hicks said. “We used it for motivation.”
But Fondren’s advice in the seventh inning wasn’t even her most impactful moment of the game.
In the previous half-inning, Hancock (22-6-1) and South Panola were gridlocked at 0-0 until Fondren blasted a home run to left field. It came after she flew out to the warning track in her previous at-bat.
“It wasn't really that much,” she said. “I was just thinking about not popping up again. I was thinking about sitting on the change-up and just drive it somewhere.”
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The go-ahead, leadoff home run also came just after South Panola gained momentum with a tremendous double play to end the top of the sixth inning.
With runners at first and second base, Hancock designated player Chaley Peterson hit a sharp line drive up the middle and it tipped off the pitcher’s glove, but still was headed to the outfield with speed. South Panola shortstop Kailey McKinney charged at the ball, stepped on second base and threw to first base in time to end the inning.
“In stories and books, there's a turning point,” Hicks said. “That is a turning point.”
Bright, the 6A Miss Softball winner, was named series MVP. In addition to the Game 2 save, she threw all seven innings in Game 1, surrendering just one earned run on two hits, four walks and 11 strikeouts to end the season with a 0.74 ERA.
Sophomore Grady Wilson started at pitcher for South Panola in Game 2 and threw six scoreless innings.
“I was intending for her to give us three or four innings,” Hicks said, “and then after that I was like, 'Well, I'm not gonna pull her until we score. Once we score, we're gonna pull her.' It's just God's will and it fell all into place.”
Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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