North Pike’s quest for three straight state championships ended in dramatic fashion with a 4-3 loss in the winner-take-all Game 3 against Pearl River Central in the South state championship Saturday evening.
After losing Game 1 of the series Friday night in Summit, North Pike bounced back with a 5-4 win in Game 2 Saturday, immediately before the finale.
The Lady Jaguars led 3-0 for most of the game before the Lady Devils tied the game in the sixth.
With the bases loaded and one out, PRC’s Keigan Pearson singled to right field to score Madison Gower and punch the Lady Devils a ticket to Starkville to face Neshoba Central in the state championship.
“The girls came out ready to play and they fought hard,” said North Pike head coach Sonya Wallace. “We just couldn’t make things happen. It was a great game. The girls gave great effort.”
North Pike got on the board early in the finale with Linley Smith’s single to center field.
The next batter, Janiah Talbert, grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Kaylea Wagner, who reached base on a single earlier in the inning.
The Lady Jags held a 3-0 lead in the third on Smith’s sac fly.
PRC began the comeback with two runs in the fifth before one each in the sixth and seventh.
Meredith Bates took the loss for the Lady Jaguars. She allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits with one strikeout and three walks.
Smith, Wagner and Jenna Brock had two hits apiece.
After being shut out twice in the regular season against Pearl River Central pitcher Jade Latham, the Lady Jaguars had success against Latham in the three-game series, earning 20 hits.
Wallace said she was proud of her team’s effort.
“I’ve been coaching a long time and I never had a team who fought as hard as this group,” Wallace said. “No one gave us a shot to do anything this year because we lost such a good group this last year. People said we wouldn’t make the playoffs. That kind of fired me up. I think it fired them up, too. They wanted to prove people wrong this season and I think they did.”
North Pike’s team won’t look too different next season because Smith is the only senior on the young squad that included two seventh graders and several freshmen.
“I’m proud of the job Linley did for us as the only senior,” Wallace said. “She kept the outfield in order with a freshman and a seventh grader. I’m extremely proud of how far she took us this year.”
