Loyd Star looks to stay alive game two against East Union, down 1-0 in title series

Published 10:58 am Friday, May 19, 2023

Wet weather has been tough on the MACCC softball championship series this week as Loyd Star and East Union fans and supporters can attest.

After the Urchins from East Union took game one on Tuesday by a 3-1 final, the schools were scheduled to play the second game of the 2A title series on Wednesday in Hattiesburg.

Rain and lightning had other plans though and the teams had that second game get pushed until Friday at 4 p.m.

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Several state champions were crowned on Thursday. In 3A, the Booneville Blue Devils finished off a sweep of West Marion with a 7-6 win to claim that title. In 4A, West Lauderdale won 11-0 over North Pike to take that championship in a two-game sweep.

The 5A state title went to the George County Rebels after they beat Saltillo 2-1 in the second game of that series. The Northwest Rankin Cougars also clinched the 6A state championship on Thursday with a 4-2 win against South Panola.

On Wednesday, Hamilton High took the 1A title with a win over Sebastopol to sweep that series in a game that had been delayed by rain that night.

Loyd Star needs to win on Friday to force a third and deciding game in the series. If they did so, the 2A series would be the only championship series to have a third game.

The matchup on Tuesday was a pitcher’s dual between two of the best 8th graders in the state.

In the circle for Loyd Star is Layla Burt, who’s got a 24-5 record this season with 206 strikeouts.

East Union is countering with Lucy Cochran, who was named MHSAA Miss Softball for 2A earlier this month. Cochran struck out 10 batters in the opener on Tuesday.

Loyd Star (28-6) and their coaches Scott Leggett, Denise Leggett and Bo Case won a three-game series over Lake High in the 2A quarterfinals and a three-game series over Puckett in the 2A semifinals.

East Union (31-5) is located in the Union County community of Blue Springs which is in Northeast Mississippi.

Loyd Star is seeking to win the first 2A state title for the school since 2009.