West Lauderdale's Hailey Talley gets set to make contact for a hit to right field Saturday against South Ponotoc.

COLLINSVILLE — Reality hit the West Lauderdale slow-pitch softball team Saturday afternoon following its playoff opener.

The Lady Knights dropped a 17-5 decision to South Pontotoc in Game 1 of the best-of-three Class II postseason series. All of a sudden, West Lauderdale had to win two straight games just to continue swinging the bats beyond Saturday.

Instead of folding, however, the Lady Knights managed a 20-9 win in Game 2 and a 12-10 victory in the decisive Game 3 to advance to round two of the playoffs.

“It was basically, ‘This is it,’” Lady Knights head coach Jessie Kennedy said of her message to the team following Game 1. “‘If you want to go home, play like you did in the first game. If not, play with heart and get it done.’”

West Lauderdale did just that, tallying 20 hits in the second game and 15 hits in Game 3 to secure their ticket to Class II’s second round.

“My girls have a lot of heart, so I knew we’d get it done,” Kennedy said. “We came out a little off (in Game 1), but we started coming back in the latter half of that game. In the second game, they were warm; they were ready.”

West Lauderdale managed just three runs in the first two innings of Game 1, with South Pontotoc holding onto a 6-2 advantage going into the top of the fourth. It was that fourth inning that proved the toughest for the Lady Knights, as they yielded 11 runs that frame to fall behind 17-3. Thought West Lauderdale scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, it wasn’t enough to keep the 10-runs-after-five mercy rule from being triggered.

Maggie Wooldridge, Madison Warren and Mallorye Dozier all went 2-for-3 in Game 1. Kennedy Mayatt had a home run for the Lady Knights.

Warren started on the mound for the Lady Knights in Game 1 but hurt her knee in the top of the fourth inning when she fell trying to field a ground ball. Victoria Irby pitched the final 2/3 of an inning for West Lauderdale. Despite the injury, Warren was able to return in the next two games to pitch for the Lady Knights.

“She said it was nothing,” Kennedy said. “‘This is my time,’ she said.”

In Game 2, a pair of six-run innings in the fourth and seventh innings proved big for West Lauderdale in the 20-9 victory. Hailey Talley was a perfect 4-for-4 in Game 2, while Dozier and Mayatt finished 3-for-5. Warren went 3-for-4, and Wooldridge was 2-for-4 with four runs scored. Kanleigh Williams was 2-for-5, and Kacey Williams finished 2-for-4.

Mayatt and Williams both had doubles, and Talley, Williams and Wooldridge hit home runs for West Lauderdale. Williams’ home run was a grand slam.

Warren went all seven innings in Game 2, surrendering nine runs, seven earned, on 14 hits with a strikeout and three walks.

In Game 3, West Lauderdale jumped ahead 11-3 after three innings but managed just one run the rest of the way as South Ponotoc almost mounted a comeback. The Lady Knights were able to hang on for the 12-10 win despite yielding three runs in the top of the seventh.

Wooldridge and Warren both went 2-for-3, and Wooldridge’s hits were a double and home run. Mayatt and Kayla Horton both finished 2-for-4, and Talley went 2-for-3. Claudia Elam was 2-for-3.

Talley had a double, and Williams had a home run in Game 3.

After losing the first game, Kennedy said being able to come back and win two proved how much heart her team has.

“They’re go-getters,” Kennedy said. “They care about each other, so they’re going to play for each other. We don’t have selfish girls on this team. That fighter mentality kicked into gear and ultimately helped us win two ball games.”

West Lauderdale improved to 21-9 and will await word on its round-two opponent for a Tuesday matchup.