HATTIESBURG – Everything that East Webster has done this season and every tough team that has come into its path prepared the Lady Wolverines for a state championship trip.
From Neshoba Central to New Hope, South Pontotoc to East Union – the Lady Wolverines were hardened mentally and physically for what awaited them in Hattiesburg. After a 14-1 blowout in game one against Lake on Wednesday, the team smelled blood in the water and another state title.
A resilient offense put the pedal down while Liz Massey dominated in the circle again on the way to a 11-1 victory. The win in five innings meant that EWHS run-ruled the Lady Hornets in both games by a combined score of 25-2.
“It’s good seeing a group of girls that do things the right way day in and day out apply it on the field and get that success,” coach John Harris said. “There’s examples of them doing it the right way all year. They bought into the little things from the beginning and your ceiling at the end of the year are higher when you do that.”
For the second-straight game, Lake didn’t play clean softball and EWHS made sure to make it hurt. The Lady Wolverines scored five runs in the first, four in the second and two in the third to put the game away. Four errors in the first inning made it incredibly difficult for Lake to keep up.
The issues for the South State champs were compounded by great defense from the Lady Wolverines and another dominant performance from Massey. The senior pitcher followed up a one-run game in 6.0 innings in game one by giving up four hits, one run, no walks and struck out five in 5.0 innings.
It was a fitting ending for a pitcher that has been commanding the circle for the Lady Wolverines since her seventh grade season when she replaced veteran pitcher Bailie Springfield.
EWHS (29-5) had 12 hits in the shortened ball game swinging it up and down the lineup. Peyton Flora and Emma Jennings were both 3-for-3 at the top of the order and scored all three times as well. Flora had a triple in the game and Jennings a double while driving in an RBI.
Seniors Emma McKee and Addison Edwards were 2-for-3 with McKee knocking in a run and Edwards two. Another senior in Nashlynn Vickers had six putouts in the outfield including a fantastic diving grab to end the ball game.
Three of those putouts came in the top of the first for Vickers as all three batters flew out to centerfield and let the Lady Wolverines go to work. The Lady Wolverines would be aggressive against a struggling Lady Hornets defense and got five runs in the opening frame on five hits and four errors to go up 5-0.
After Massey worked around a one-out single in the second, the team went back to work. They would bat around for the second-straight inning and score four runs on four hits making it 9-0 and putting the Lady Hornets in a huge hole.
The run rule started to close in on Lake in the third as Flora tripled and Jennings doubled to start the inning. An RBI single from Katelee Box made it 11-0. A leadoff double in the fifth inning for the Lady Hornets scored with two outs on a single but a flyout to Vickers would end it and send all of the Wolverine faithful into jubilation mode.
“It’s just like a dream. When we were younger, East Webster softball went to a state championship just about every year but we never got to experience one of our own,” Flora said. “These are my sisters. I have about 22 sisters and played with most of them my whole life. Getting to experience this with them is amazing. We grew up working for this and we finally got what we were working for so hard work pays off.”
The win was the eighth state title for the Lady Wolverines in fast pitch after winning four-straight in Class 1A from 2006-09 and three-straight in 2A from 2013-15. The last trip to the big series came in 2016 when an undefeated EWHS team went down in two games to Taylorsville.
It took a few years, but the dynasty that is East Webster softball added another to the trophy case.
