RIDGELAND – Keith Jernigan’s game plan Saturday included a Game 3 in Houston’s MHSAA Class 4A state championship series against Newton County.

First, however, his Lady Hilltoppers had to win Game 2.

Newton County – and its pitcher, Darby Bishop – didn’t let him execute his strategy. The Lady Cougars swept the series with a 10-0 victory in six innings against the defending state champions at Freedom Ridge Park.

Newton County won the series opener, 16-3, Friday.

“We were looking ahead,” Jernigan said. “We knew we had to win two games.”

Bishop (23-0) was solid in the circle, two-hitting the Lady Hilltoppers and sending them down in order in four innings.

“All of her pitches were working,” Newton County coach Justin Chaney said. “She was hitting her spots.”

Houston (26-8) started its backup pitcher, Avery Springer, to keep Friday’s starter, Audi Dendy, fresh for a third game.

The move by Jernigan also gave the Lady Hilltoppers more speed in the outfield with the addition of Josie Anderson. “Avery’s also a little faster on fielding bunts,” Jernigan noted.

Springer scattered 12 hits and recorded two strikeouts. She had given up five runs on seven hits prior to Newton County’s 5-run sixth inning.

“She did an excellent job for us,” Jernigan said. “We just couldn’t put any hits together. At this level you’ve got to get hits.”

Newton County (30-4) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-RBI double to left field by Ashton Lampton.

Abby Reeves doubled and Savannah Gates plated her with a single in the third to give the Lady Cougars a 3-0 lead.

End of game

Newton County added two more in the fifth to make it 5-0, then closed it out in the bottom of the sixth. Cassidy Blount’s two-RBI single was a key blow. The game-ending run scored on a ground out by Gates.

Houston put runners on first and second to lead off the fifth, but a line drive out and a ground out ended the threat.

“I’m proud of my players and my seniors – Avery (Springer), Audi (Dendy) and Yasmeen (Cooper),” Jernigan said. “They’ve worked hard to help build this program.”

gene.phelps@journalinc.com

RIDGELAND – Alaina Hill may get a street named after her in Cumberland. The junior’s two biggest hits of the season led East Webster to the 2013 MHSAA Class 2A championship.

Scoreless in the seventh inning of the deciding third game on Saturday, Hill doubled with two outs. Katie Gordon, Kendall Wilkinson and Mamie Hollenhead followed with back-to-back-to-back RBI singles in a 3-1 win over Enterprise-Clarke.

Hill had already saved the day to force a Game 3 at Ridgeland’s Freedom Ridge Park. Her bloop single gave East Webster a 6-5 win in the second extra inning of Game 2.

“We had an 11⁄2-hour break in the hot sun. Both teams were just tired. It just came down to who broke through first,” East Webster coach Lee Berryhill said. “It just so happened we did it in the seventh inning. It just came down to heart.”

East Webster (22-7) freshman pitcher Bailie Springfield cruised in the third game, allowing two Enterprise (19-14) hits, the lone run on a sac fly in the bottom of the seventh.

After losing the opener of the best-of-three series on Friday, East Webster led Game 2 4-0 before allowing Enterprise five runs in the fifth.

“We just battled and battled. It came down to heart in that second game,” Berryhill said.

It is East Webster’s first title since winning four straight from 2006-09. Springfield, who improved to 20-5 on the season, had a double with one out in the sixth, but Enterprise starter Hayleigh Harper escaped the damage.

Brittany Hagwood singled with one out in the sixth for Enterprise, but was erased on a double play.

Hill said her approach in her last at-bat was simple.

“I really just wanted to get on base,” she said. “It felt good.”

brandon.speck@journalinc.com

Local stories and photos of select MHSAA playoffs will be published in the Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Chickasaw Journal.

Baseball

MHSAA North Championships
Class 1A
TCPS 10, Greenville St. Joe 0
(Series tied 1-1)
Class 3A
Kossuth 6, Independence 3
(Series tied 1-1)
Class 6A
Southaven 3, DeSoto Central 0
(Southaven wins series, 2-0)

Softball

MHSAA State Championships
Class 1A
Nanih Waiya 13, West Union 7
(Nanih Waiya wins series, 2-0)
Class 2A
East Webster 6-3, Enterprise-Clarke 5-1
(East Webster wins series 2-1)
Class 3A
St. Patrick 15, Nettleton 6
(St. Patrick wins series, 2-0)
Class 4A
Newton County 10, Houston 0
(Newton County wins series, 2-0)
Class 5A
Neshoba Central 18, East Central 5
(Neshoba Central wins series, 2-0)
Class 6A
Oak Grove 13-2, Madison Central 2-1
(Oak Grove wins series 2-1)

BATON ROUGE, La. – Blake Morris of Ole Miss shot an even-par 72 on Friday to move into a tie for 10th at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional golf tournament.

Morris (75-72–147) is six strokes off the lead.

Mississippi State improved by eight strokes in the second round and is in 10th place at 36 over. The top five teams advance to the nationals.

Barrett Edens (Okolona) had the best round of the day (80-73–153) for MSU and is tied for 34th with teammate Chad Ramey (75-78–153).

The tourney ends today.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Keep checking back with chickasawjournal.com for today’s game updates.

RIDGELAND – Newton County coach Justin Chaney calls it “fastbreak softball.”His Lady Cougars registered a few layups with their up-tempo attack Friday afternoon and sprinted to a 16-3, five-inning victory against defending state champion Houston in the MHSAA Class 4A fast-pitch state championship series.

Game 2 of the best-of-three title series is scheduled for noon today at Freedom Ridge Park. Game 3, if necessary, would follow at a time to be determined.

“Aggressive play, that’s our game,” Chaney said. “It’s just pressure ball. That’s what we try to do.”

The Lady Cougars (29-4), who recorded eight stolen bases, had nine hits, including doubles by Ashton Lampton and Darby Bishop.

They also benefited from five Houston errors. Four of those came in Newton County’s 9-run third inning.

“We had some errors in that one big inning; that’s not like us,” Lady Hilltoppers coach Keith Jernigan said. “They did everything right today and we didn’t.”

Houston (26-7) starting pitcher Audi Dendy was lifted in the third inning. Jernigan wants his right-hander, who’s now 16-4, fresh for a possible two games today.

The Lady Hilltoppers reached Newton County pitching – starter Darby Bishop and reliever Dal-merika King – for eight hits. Mary Kansas Sullivan had a first-inning double and Yasmeen Cooper added a second-inning triple off Bishop.

Talaja Echoles belted a solo home run to right field in the fifth inning against King.

Newton County broke open a 1-1 game with its nine-run third inning. Shelby Barrett and Shea Alexander plated three of the runs with base hits. Three more scored on Houston errors, one on a passed ball and one on a fielder’s choice ground ball.

Lampton added an RBI single and Alexander had an RBI sacrifice fly in the Lady Cougars’ 4-run fourth inning.

Houston will have to sweep today to defend its title.

“These girls are used to winning,” Jernigan said. “Now they’ve got to step back up. We’ve got to come back and be ready to play.

“They’re down right now, but they’re warriors.”

gene.phelps@journalinc.com

RIDGELAND – When Hayleigh Harper is confident, Enterprise-Clarke’s opponents should beware.

Harper, the Lady Bulldogs’ right-handed starting pitcher, recorded seven strikeouts and held East Webster scoreless for six innings Friday in Enterprise-Clarke’s 6-3 victory in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 2A fast-pitch state championship series.

Game 2 is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at Freedom Ridge Park. Game 3, if necessary, would follow at a time to be determined.

“Everything was working today; I was feeling pretty confident,” Harper said. “My change-up was really on point. My fast ball and drop ball were working.”

The Lady Bulldogs (19-12) gave her just enough offensive support with 10 hits off East Webster’s Ballie Springfield.

“Harper’s good, you’ve got to battle her,” East Webster coach Lee Berryhill said.

Enterprise-Clarke took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Harper’s RBI single. The Bulldogs made it 4-0 in the second on a single by Lauren Smith and two-run double by Brittany Hagwood.

Berryhill believes the second inning was the killer.

“They put two or three hits together and had a bunt,” he said. “That opened it up for them. We tried to make a comeback.”

Enterprise-Clarke scored its final two runs in the third and fourth innings.

unearned runs

East Webster (20-7) scored three runs, all unearned, in the sixth inning. Jennah Pate and Katie Gordon had RBI singles and a run scored on one of the two errors the Lady Bulldogs committed in the inning.

“Maybe we got a little overconfident,” Harper said. “I think we felt like we had that six-run cushion, so we slacked up.”

Bailey Williams led East Webster with two singles. Delanney Davidson had three hits to pace Enterprise-Clark. Hagwood’s double in the second inning was the game’s lone extra-base hit.

gene.phelps@journalinc.com

Class 1A

Game 1 – 6 p.m., Friday

Game 2 – 10 a.m., Saturday

Game 3 – TBA Saturday

West Union (25-6)

Leaders

Bailey Bogue .469 avg, 29 RBI

Julianna Garner .460 avg,

Brittany Taylor 18-3 record, 0.85 ERA

Nanih Waiya (23-7)

Leaders

Brantlie Sheets 11-4 record, 3.39 ERA

Ryan Holdiness 12-3 record, 1.88 ERA, .392 avg, 4 HR

Series Notes: Sheets and Holdiness have combined for 182K. … West Union beat defending state champion Smithville in North finals. … West Union lost to Bogue Chitto in 2011 state finals.

Class 2A

Game 1 – Noon, today

Game 2 – 10 a.m., Saturday

Game 3 – TBA Saturday

East Webster (20-6)

Leaders

Bailey Springfield 18-4 record

Autumn Frost .430 avg

Mamie Hollenhead .380 avg

Enterprise Clarke (18-12)

Leaders

Hayleigh Harper 11-5 record, .380 avg

Harley Smith .345 avg

Series Notes: East Webster defeated Bruce, Hatley and Baldwyn in the playoffs. … Lady Wolverines won state championships in 2007, ‘08 and ‘09. … Enterprise Clarke won state titles in 2010 and ‘11.

Class 3A

Game 1 – 6 p.m., Friday

Game 2 – 10 a.m., Saturday

Game 3 – TBA Saturday

Nettleton (24-7)

Leaders

MariAnna Young 14-5 record, 1.43 ERA

Kaleigh Tackett .415 avg, 29 RBI

Lauren Baldwyn .434 avg, 21 RBI

Molly Bramlett .394 avg, leadoff batter

St. Patrick (29-3)

Leaders

Sarah Van Schaik .472 avg, 63 RBI, 13 HR

Sabrina Turner .465 avg, 19-1 record, 130K, 1.24 ERA

Series Notes: St. Patrick defeated Nettleton in the state finals last season. … The Lady Tigers had won three straight state championships. … Nettleton beat rival Mooreville in North state finals.

Class 4A

Game 1 – 3 p.m., Friday

Game 2 – Noon., Saturday

Game 3 – TBA Saturday

Houston (26-6)

Leaders

Audi Dendy 16-3 record, 0.50 ERA

Yasmeen Cooper .453 avg

Chelsea Gates .551 avg

Newton County (28-4)

Leaders

Ashton Lampton .482 avg, 6 HR, 41 RBI

Darby Bishop 21-0 record, 1.87 ERA, .500 avg, 41 RBI

Series Notes: Houston defeated Newton County last season to win its first state championship in fast-pitch. …Newton County was the 2011 state champion. … Hilltoppers return without star pitcher Haley Gravat, who graduated.