RIDGELAND — Perhaps Choctaw Central High School being assigned the Maroon Field for the 2016 MHSAA Class 3A slow-pitch softball state championship was foreshadowing the Lady Warriors’ series against Mooreville High School.

The dirt from the field at Ridgeland’s Freedom Ridge Park still hugged the maroon letters that spelled Lady Warriors on the front of the Choctaw Central player’s jerseys as they collected their championship medals after sweeping Mooreville High School in the state championship Saturday afternoon.

Choctaw Central head coach Crystal Roach guided the Lady Warriors to their first slow-pitch state championship since 2013, and second slow-pitch title in school history. The Choctaw Central alumna wiped the tears from her eyes as her players celebrated a few feet from her.

“Once we started believing and trusting one another, that’s when everything changed,” Roach said. “And not only that, we put the responsibility on (the seniors). They knew they could make a difference, and it was up to them. I just guided them.”

The Lady Warriors defeated Mooreville 13-2 in Game 2 of the series, and 6-5 in Game 1. Seniors Betty Mingo, Candace Jefferson and Aaliyah Jones were part of the nucleus Roach relied on throughout the season.

“I feel like we accomplished what we could, and it’s a very great accomplishment,” Jefferson said after the win. “Knowing we came back, and it’s been a while since we’ve been here. This team gave me so many great memories. They helped me when I was down; they pushed me even harder in practice. I’m really going to miss them.”

Maleigha Joe led the Lady Warriors in Game 2 with four hits and tallied a team-high three runs. Darien Tubby paced Choctaw Central with two RBIs, and Lachrisha Williams picked up the win on the mound, while also adding two hits.

After earning a 6-5 win in Game 1, Choctaw Central courtesy runner Meloney Thames scored the first run of the second contest on an RBI single by Mingo. The Lady Warriors extended their lead to 2-0 in the top of the first after Maleigha Joe crossed home following a hit by Kenaye Willis. Mingo scored in the inning after Tia’Rain Saunders reached base on an error, and Choctaw Central took a 3-0 lead at the end of the top of the first.

Raegan Sullivan led off the bottom of the second for Mooreville with a single to center, but Choctaw Central turned a double play two Mooreville batters later to close out the frame with its 3-2 lead intact.

With the second at-bat of the bottom of the third, Mooreville’s Kara Hays reached first with a single that rolled into deep left field. Hallie Donald added a single, moving Hays to second for the Lady Troopers. Jefferson, however, snagged a deep fly out by Abby McDonald to end the third.

Leia Phillips plopped a single to shallow left field to begin the top of the fifth. Jefferson then ripped a single to left to follow Phillips’ shot. Williams sent a single to right field to load the bases for Maleigha Joe, and Joe singled to left field to score Williams. Two more runners — Thames and Joe — scored after a Mooreville error at shortstop to give the Lady Warriors a 7-0 lead at the end of the top of the fifth.

During the top of the sixth inning, Iris Farve doubled to right field, sending Saunders — who walked with the first at-bat of the inning — to third base with no outs. Pinch-hitter Ciji Vaughn netted an RBI by sending Saunders home. Choctaw Central stretched its lead to 9-0 one batter later after Phillips grounded out to shortstop to score Farve. Jefferson piled on another run by plating Lauren Ben, giving the Lady Warriors a 10-0 lead at the end of the top of the sixth.

Donald sent a home run screaming over the center field wall to put the Lady Troopers on the scoreboard with their first run in the bottom of the sixth, and Meagan Edmonds added another run later in the frame.

Not taking any chances for a comeback, Maleigha Joe opened the top of the seventh with a triple and was sent home after Tubby singled to give the Lady Warriors an 11-2 lead. Mingo doubled, shifting Tubby to third. Tubby tagged up at third base and scored on a sacrifice fly from Saunders. Mingo scored Choctaw Central’s 13th run on an RBI single from Farve.

“I’m speechless,” Mingo said. “It feels good. The team worked hard, and it paid off. It really feels good.”

Williams, who started at pitcher for the Lady Warriors, went the distance in Game 2, allowing just one earned run, walking one batter and striking out one. Williams said she entered Game 2 with no intention of playing a third.

“I didn’t want take it to a Game 3 — I didn’t want to risk it,” she said. “I knew we could finish it within two games. We just had to communicate, and that’s what we did. That’s how we won. Once we started hitting in the first, we just kept going… Almost like a domino effect, and that’s what we needed.”

 

GAME 1

CHOCTAW CENTRAL 6,

MOOREVILLE 5

 

Phillips knocked in the game’s first run with an RBI single to left field that scored Saunders and gave the Lady Warriors a 1-0 lead to close the second inning.

With two outs in the top of the third, Mooreville’s Summer Cryder plated two runs after Saunders lost a fly ball in the sun and misjudged the catch. The miscue resulted in Mooreville grabbing a 2-1 lead.

Williams swatted an infield single to score Maleigha Joe and knot the score at 2 in the bottom of the third.

Saunders laced a double to right field to open the bottom of the fourth. Williams followed with a walk, and Farve loaded the bases after Mooreville’s Analyse Long juggled the ball while collecting it. Maiya Joe scored Saunders with a sacrifice fly, which put the Lady Warriors ahead 3-2 at the end of the fourth.

Mooreville’s Donald led off the top of the fifth with a double to deep left that just cleared Saunders’ glove. McDonald sent Donald home with a double that ripped through the infield in between shortstop and second base. The run was the Lady Troopers only one of the frame, but it tied the score at 3.

Jefferson reached first courtesy of a single. Maleighia Joe shifted Jefferson to second base with her own single, putting runners on first and second for Williams. Williams drove in Jefferson and Joe with a double to give the Lady Warriors a 5-2 lead. Thames, running for Williams, scored on the following at-bat after a Mooreville throwing error to extend Choctaw Central’s lead to 6-3.

Edmonds led off the top of the sixth with a double after a Choctaw Central fielding error. Long scored Edmonds with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-4 which stood until the end of the frame.

Mooreville’s Annslee Basham and Hays netted back-to-back singles to open the seventh. Donald scored Basham, putting the score at 6-5 in Choctaw Central’s favor. Cryder stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded and one out. Williams forced Cryder to fly out, giving Edmunds, Mooreville’s clean-up hitter, a chance to tie the score. Edmonds flied out to Jefferson to end the first game.

Williams surrendered two earned runs and struck out one batter to net the win.

Williams also collected a team-high three RBIs, and Williams, Saunders and Maleigha Joe tallied three hits apiece.