Following a perfect 6-0 district record, North Pike will host the first round of the Class 4A slowpitch softball tournament today against Florence at 5 p.m.
The two teams meet in a best-of-three-series. All three games will be played tonight, back-to-back-to-back.
“Obviously at this point, anybody who has made it to the playoffs is usually a pretty good team,” North Pike coach Sonya Wallace said of Florence.
North Pike finished the season at 21-4 and wrapped up yet another district title. After a 1-2 start to the season, the Jaguars have won 20 of their last 22 games.
“Hopefully our girls will continue to play well like they have been and we’ll be able to get the two wins tonight,” Wallace said.
Playing three games in one night may sound like a challenge in itself, but North Pike is fairly used to it. The Jags hosted their own tournament last month and also competed in the Brookhaven tournament. In both scenarios, North Pike played three games in a matter of a few hours with a break in between.
“I think the girls will be able to handle it mentally,” Wallace said. “I mean, that is something we talk about and expect at times, but at that point that adrenaline gets flowing and it’s easier to keep them focused than you would think.”
The winner of tonight’s series will travel to face the winner of West Lauderdale-Poplarville on Saturday.
Senior pitcher Breanna McKenzie will start on the mound for North Pike. McKenzie, Rickera Martin, Lauren Wells, Madison Bigner are among several hitters that make up the meat of the Jags’ lineup offensively. All four had home runs in North Pike’s regular season finale last Thursday against Purvis.
