Finally. 

Loyd Star was able to finish its often-delayed MHSAA 2A three-game playoff series on Wednesday night with an 8-4 win over Lake High. 

The Hornets (25-5) will next face Puckett High (28-5) in the MHSAA 2A South State Championship series. Game one is scheduled for tonight in Puckett at 6 p.m., weather permitting. Loyd Star will host game two on Friday at 6 p.m.

Loyd Star won the opening game of its series with Lake on Thursday, May 4 by a 10-6 final score. Lake returned the favor on the next day with 5-1 win at home to send the series to a third and deciding game.

That third game was scheduled for Monday and then moved to Tuesday due to weather that moved into the area. The game was again bumped back to Wednesday, but the location had to be changed after Jan Smith Delaughter Field at Loyd Star was deemed too wet to host.

The artificial playing surface of the Magee Sports Complex was picked to accommodate the game, but the game had a lightning delay before it could get started on Wednesday.

When things finally got started, the Hornets from Lincoln County got off to a hot start with a three-run effort in the bottom of the first inning.

The first two batters of the game for Loyd Star, Carson Hughey and Abby Burnette, drew walks to get aboard and then moved up on a passed ball. 

The pair then scored when senior Marley Britt hit a base clearing double. Britt scored later in the inning on a double by eighth grade pitcher Layla Burt.

The momentum carried on into the bottom of the second with Hughey and Burnette again getting aboard via back-to-back one-out singles.

The fleet footed Hughey scored on a wild pitch and then a single by Britt scored Burnette to give the Hornets a 5-0 lead.

Lake scored four runs in the top half of the sixth inning to tighten things up, but Burt got a double play and then a groundout to end the game in the seventh. 

In the circle, Burt gave up six hits and one earned run while walking three and striking out six. Maddie Kate Britt and Marley Britt had two hits apiece for LS coach Scott Leggett. Marley Britt drove in three runs while Hughey, Burt and Alyssa Leggett had one RBI each.

Puckett has been waiting on an opponent since closing out Choctaw County with a 6-3 win on Saturday. The Wolves won that series 2-0 after getting a 2-1 series victory over West Lincoln in the second round.

Myrtle (19-5) and East Union (28-4) are meeting in the north side of the 2A bracket.