Harrison Central pursues 4-peat, Picayune seeks 1st state title series

The Harrison Central and Picayune softball teams roll into the state title round in very different positions.

One, the decided underdog in search of its first state title. The other, the three-time reigning state champion.

The Red Rebelettes seek their fourth-consecutive Class 6A state title, starting with Game 1 against Tupelo at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. Game 2 will follow at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

The Maroon Tide will face a Neshoba Central team that is in search of a fifth-consecutive state title, starting with Thursday's 11 a.m. Game 1. Game 2 is set for 4 p.m. on Friday.

The two teams will carry the flag for South Mississippi as state championships in all six classifications are decided this weekend at Freedom Ridge Park in Ridgeland.

After sweeping Madison Central in the 6A state title series last year, Harrison Central coach Jimmy Parker is sticking to the exact same plans for the return trip to Ridgeland.

“We're doing everything exactly like we did last year,” Parker said. “It's superstitious, but more of a fun thing. We're leaving today and the girls knew we were eating tonight at the Chick-fil-A in Hattiesburg before we even told them. They know. They laugh about it. It's a bonding thing as much as anything.”

Harrison Central (29-4) had to rally to advance out of South State after losing 2-1 to Brandon in Game 1. The Red Rebelettes won 11-1 in Game 2 and 4-1 in 8 innings in Game 3.

Parker believes that tight series will help his team this weekend.

“If we come in with the same attitude we had at Brandon in Game 2, I think that will work out well for us,” Parker said. “We can't take anything for granted. (The Game 1 loss) was a wake-up call for us. That helped us on Saturday.”

Tupelo (24-9) beat Madison Central, Harrison Central's state title series opponent the last two years, in 2-of-3 games to claim Class 6A North State.

With a team batting average of .345, Tupelo should challenge a strong Harrison Central pitching staff.

Junior Kristen Cade (18-3, 1.05) will get the start in the pitcher's circle for the Red Rebelettes in Game 1, but Parker is pondering changing things up for Game 2.

“We'll play it by ear,” Parker said. “We've talked about changing a little bit for the second game.”

The Harrison Central players understand that they can accomplish a rare “four-peat” this week in Ridgeland.

“They know they can do something real special,” he said. “That's not our focus, but we talk about it. We've got to win this first game Thursday and worry about Friday.”

Rolling Tide

Picayune took 2-of-3 from Long Beach to claim the Class 5A South State title, clinching a spot in Ridgeland.

The Maroon Tide (22-8-1) has only lost one game this postseason, but the challenge gets much tougher against Neshoba Central, which is 28-4.

“Our philosophy is to play the game and not the team,” Picayune coach Kristi Mitchell said. “We'll go up there and give it our best shot. We've got to be consistent and follow our game plan. Neshoba Central is a powerhouse in fast-pitch softball.”

Picayune, which has a team batting average of .335, hopes its strong lineup will stand up to the challenge of facing Neshoba Central ace Aspen Wesley, a sophomore who is 22-2 with a 0.79 ERA in 27 appearances this season

Senior Marissa McDonald leads Picayune with a batting average of .573. Senior Elizabeth Taggard has a .437 batting average, two homers and 42 RBIs.

“I think our bats are going to have to be alive for this ball game,” Mitchell said. “Aspen is a phenomenal pitcher. It's going to take some hits. We've got to score multiple runs to beat them.”

In the pitcher's circle, Picayune will counter with senior Megan Dudenhefer, who has been one of the better pitchers in South Mississippi this season. She is 21-4 with a 0.62 ERA in 30 appearances.

“I feel like once we got into the playoffs everything kind of started gelling,” Mitchell said. “Our defense solidified and we seem to be manufacture the runs we need. We've been fortunate to have some big innings. If we can continue to do that, I think we can give ourselves a chance to win.”

Times for Game 3 for both the Class 6A and Class 5A series are still to be determined.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Harrison Central pursues 4-peat, Picayune seeks 1st state title series."