UPDATE: The Lady Pioneers fell 3-2 in the first game of the series at Brookhaven Academy on Wednesday night. Junior Zoe Alford led Parklane with two hits, while senior AR Sharp pitched five of six innings.
The second game of a potential three-game series takes place Thursday night (Oct. 10) at 6:30 p.m. at Parklane Academy.
Looking to secure its third-straight state title, Parklane softball advanced through the MAIS 5A Fast-Pitch Tournament over the weekend to set up a championship series against rivals Brookhaven Academy.
The Lady Pioneers finished the regular season with a 21-6 record and swept the South State Tournament in order to qualify for the overall state bracket, which began Saturday.
In Parklane’s first game, Daniel Simmons’ team comfortably took down Leake Academy by a score of 4-1. After the Rebels were able to tie the game in the top of the fifth, the Lady Pioneers rattled off three runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull away.
Out-hitting Leake 9-1, Parklane was led by two hits each from senior Issie Coker and junior Anna Sawyer. Junior Phiffer Crawford, who had been working her way back from a mid-season injury, pitched five innings in the win.
Then, later that day, Parklane won a defensive battle with Cathedral, 1-0. Ace senior pitcher AR Sharp secured the shutout, and Sawyer recorded another two hits, one of which brought Phiffer’s sister Finley home.
In the winner’s bracket final on Monday, Parklane squared off with Brookhaven Academy, a team the Lady Pioneers had already faced four times this season, winning three of those matchups.
This time around, the Cougars got the better of their rivals, winning 1-0 to clinch a berth in the championship series. Sharp registered Parklane’s only hit of the game, and a fourth-inning run from Brookhaven proved to be the difference.
The loss dropped Parklane to the loser’s bracket, meaning that Simmons & Co. had to take down Oak Forest Academy to keep their season alive. Thanks to another strong outing at the mound from Sharp and four combined hits from freshman Brooklyn Wagner and junior Laney Simmons, the Lady Pioneers won 3-2 and set up a rematch with Brookhaven in the state title series.
After splitting a pair of regular season matchups, the Lady Pioneers and Cougars met twice in the South State Tournament as well. Parklane won both meetings by a combined score of 15-3, meaning that the season series between the two powerhouse programs stands at 3-2 in favor of the Lady Pioneers.
The first matchup of a potential three-game series takes place at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday at Brookhaven Academy. The second game is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday and sees Parklane host, and if a third meeting is required, the game would shift back to Brookhaven.
