Booneville’s Hallie Burns was too hot to handle as she tossed a no-hitter against Enterprise in Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 3A state title series Friday evening at Southern Miss.

Burns struck out eight and surrendered just two walks in seven innings as the Lady Blue Devils won 8-0 to complete the sweep of the Lady Bulldogs in the championship round. Enterprise finished its season as 3A state runners-up.

Kylee Dewitt and Anna Brewer each worked a walk for the Lady Bulldogs and were Enterprise’s only baserunners. Starter Abigail Godwin took the loss on the mound, pitching six innings and giving up eight runs, six earned, on seven hits while striking out four.

While the season didn’t end the way they wanted it to end, Enterprise head coach Jeremy Wilkins said winning the Region 5-3A championship and making it to the state title round were good building blocks for the program’s future.

“I feel like it was a really good season,” Wilkins said. “The girls set the goal that we would have an opportunity to win the division, then progress and win South State and then get to state and have an opportunity to win that. We accomplished every goal except for that last one.”

It was also Wilkins’ last season coaching the softball team, as he’s planning to strictly coach football in the fall as an assistant while freeing up his spring. 

“I have three girls who are all getting older, so I don’t have many years left to chase them around,” Wilkins explained.

After coaching as an assistant for former Lady Bulldogs coach Davey Dewitt, Wilkins took over head coaching duties for the past three seasons, and he said leading the Enterprise softball team has been a rewarding experience.

“They’re a really good group that works extremely hard,” Wilkins said. “They try to accomplish everything we ask them to do. We didn’t have to stay on them a whole lot because they spent a lot of time in practice and put in extra hours on their own. Groups like that tend to lead to successful seasons.”

While several key seniors are graduating, Wilkins said the 2023 Lady Bulldogs should have a good chance of making another run next spring.

“We do have a tough division,” Wilkins said. “Clarkdale is returning a lot and will be good, and so are Union and Southeast (Lauderdale). These girls have a good chance of getting back (to state), and I feel really strongly that a team from our division will make it back to state again.”