FLOWOOD — The Central Academy fast-pitch softball team came up one game short.
After defeating defending state champion Bayou Academy in its second game of the day, Central Academy had to wait through a layoff of more than four hours before Bayou Academy earned the right to play it again.
Unfortunately, things didn”t go the Lady Vikings” way.
Bayou Academy won the rematch 14-0 to force the if necessary game to determine the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A state champion.
Bayou Academy then defeated Central Academy 4-1 to take the title at Liberty Park.
Central Academy finished the season 23-9 and recorded its best ever finish in the fast-pitch tournament in school history in the program”s fifth year of existence, and in its second trip to the state tournament.
Marion Colvin (8-3), who defeated Bayou Academy 5-2 earlier in the day, took the loss in the finale. The Lady Vikings had eight hits but committed eight errors, which led to all of Bayou Academy”s runs being unearned.
Colvin had three hits, while Blake Rigdon, Kellie Hailey, Megan Banks (triple), and Julianna Persons all had hits.
Central Academy opened the day with a 9-5 victory against Wayne Academy.
Corey Dawkins had a single, Rigdon had two singles, Hailey had a single, Kendall Taylor had a single, double, and solo home run, Lillian Lindsey had two singles, Alex Dawkins had two singles, Banks had a single, and Persons had a double.
Lindsey (11-3) earned the victory.
Colvin allowed eight hits in her complete-game victory against Bayou Academy.
Corey Dawkins had a single, Taylor had two singles, and Lindsey and Colvin doubled.
Corey Dawkins had two of the team”s three hits in the first loss to Bayou Academy. Hailey had the other hit.
Alex Dawkins took the loss.
Lindsey, Colvin, Taylor, and Corey Dawkins were named to the all-tournament team.
Volleyball
n Caledonia wins in five: At Madison, the Caledonia High School volleyball rallied for a 3-2 victory against St. Joseph”s in the first round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class I state tournament.
Set scores were 25-21, 15-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-7.
Caledonia will play Lafayette at a time and a date to be determined at Caledonia High.
Caledonia High coach Samantha Brooks said the match was scheduled to be played Tuesday, but it likely will have to be moved to later in the week due to a scheduling conflict.
Kara Von Kanel led Caledonia with 10 kills and three blocks, but Brooks said the Lady Confederates delivered a team effort to help the program earn its first state tournament victory in her three seasons as coach.
“Kara did have a lot of kills but they played their game and played together,” Brooks said.
Brooks said a suggestion by her assistant coach to move Kori Hankins to the right side in the fourth and fifth games played a key role in the victory.
“She played really well,” Brooks said of Hankins. “She stepped it up.”
Macy Hicks had a kill, Hankins had an ace, Ashley Dodson had two kills, Whitney Pounders had two aces, Marlana Dolan had two kills and five aces, Blaire Ruth had three kills and two aces, Sunnie Rushing had one kill, one ace, and one block, and Shaina Cruse had two aces and 17 assists.
“I knew we had it in us,” said Brooks, who believed in her team when it trailed two sets to one. “The serving was great all day. We kept our heads up all day and stayed focused. I told them every ball they catch today they have to keep their focus on. They all played well with the adjustment we made. I think everybody was focused on doing their job.”
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