Lady Patriots claim North Crown
Chalk this North 3A Fast- Pitch Tournament championship up to true grit.
The relentless Marshall Academy Lady Patriots faced the tall task of winning three straight games Monday in Cleveland to claim the top trophy, and they did just that, delivering the hardware back to Holly Springs late that night.
MA will next play for a fourth straight state championship, with the four-team Division I bracket starting this Saturday at the Magee Sports Complex.
The Lady Patriots, after winning two in North Regional play Saturday, lost 3-1 to Tri- County Academy in the finals of the winners’ bracket early Monday afternoon. They rebounded with determination from that gut-wrenching loss and defeated Leake Academy 9-8 and then Tri-County twice, 9-8 and 6-3, to hoist the top prize at Bear Pen Park about 8:30 p.m. Monday in the Delta.
Charlie Johnson and Gracie Rappa drove in three and two runs, respectively, versus Leake. Getting two hits each were Kyleigh Milliorn and Kendall Matthews. Milliorn also got the pitching win and Matthews the save.
Eliza Cavender pitched 13 strong innings and earned both wins over Tri-County. Milliorn tossed one inning in the final contest and got the save. Leading the way from the plate in the one-run win over the Lady Rebels were Azley Ashby with three hits, Milliorn with two hits and three runs-battedin, and Aubrey Brigance, Matthews, Rappa, Luci Tomlinson and Aurora Cervantes with two hits each. MA had 17 hits. With the trophy on the line in the nightcap, MA pushed five big runs across in the bottom of the second and held off Tri- County. Milliorn had two hits in the title win, and Johnson drove in a pair of runs.
In game one at North Regional on Saturday, the Lady Patriots amassed 13 hits in a 9- 2 win over Oak Hill Academy. Cavender was the top plate performer with three hits and two RBIs. Brigance, Rappa and Johnson added two each. Cavender and Milliorn shared pitching duties. Cavender, the starter, struck out four and Milliorn fanned 10 in relief.
A dominant Milliorn struck out 15 more in a 10-2, roundtwo rout of Leake Academy on Saturday. MA collected 13 more hits. Cavender led the way again with three hits. Rappa followed with two hits and two RBIs. Also getting two hits each were Milliorn and Matthews. Milliorn earned the complete game victory from the circle. The Lady Pats went up 4-1 in the bottom of the second and never looked back.
Marshall closed the regular season early last week with a 12-3 District 1-3A win over Lee Academy on the road and a 3-1 victory at home over Calhoun Academy on Senior Night.
A huge eight-run fifth inning pushed the Lady Patriots past the Lady Colts in Clarksdale Monday, Sept. 22. They had 15 hits. Cervantes racked up four hits, including a home run, and three RBIs, and Cavender had three hits and three RBIs. Adding two hits each were Brigance, Milliorn and Tomlinson. Cavender fanned nine in five innings to earn the pitching win.
It was a pitcher’s duel between Cavender and Calhoun’s Kenna Eaton on Tuesday, Sept. 23. Cavender came out on the winning side. She struck out 10 and gave up only one hit in seven innings of work. MA mustered just four hits off Eaton. Johnson and Ashby each drove in a run for the Lady Patriots. Milliorn stole three bases.
Joining MA (18-9) in the State Tournament will be Amite School Center, Columbia Academy and Tri-County.