MADISON — Wayne County’s one big inning made things a little dicey for Neshoba Central, but the Lady Rockets’ experience was bound to come through.

After all, they hadn’t won seven straight slow-pitch state titles without overcoming a stressful inning here and there.

After taking Game 1 of the MHSAA Class II state championship series 10-2 Saturday, Neshoba Central had a 5-0 lead going into the top of the fifth in Game 2. Wayne County’s offense had been mostly lifeless in the second game, and the Lady War Eagles already had two outs in the frame.

But Wayne County took advantage of several hard-hit balls and strung together a big inning, tying the game 5-5 going into the bottom of the fifth. It was the Lady Rockets’ turn to respond after a shift in momentum.

They did just that — with two outs — as Jayda Ben singled on a fly ball to right field, and Reese Page advanced Ben to second with a single of her own. An error in the outfield allowed Ben to score all the way from second, giving Neshoba Central a 6-5 lead. The Lady Rockets then held Wayne County scoreless in the sixth and seventh to secure the win and their eighth slow-pitch title in a row.

“We were hoping that was (Wayne County’s) best shot that they had, and we just needed to stay relaxed and come back,” Neshoba Central head coach Trae Embry said. “You get in a fight and get punched, what are you going to do? And the answer was punch back, and we had to respond and were able to do that.”

Willis said the key to shaking off the rough top of the fifth was to avoid panicking. It also helped that her offense gave her the lead back in the bottom of the fifth.

“I just know we had to stay calm and do what we had to do to get those three outs and close it out,” Willis said.

There was no panic, Page said, because she and her teammates had experienced too much with one another not to come through in big spots.

“We came together, and we knew we could do this, because we’ve been here with each other for a long time, so we just believed in each other,” Page said.

They also had a calming presence in Willis, Page said, who only has to grin in order to let her teammates know things are OK.

“She’s always smiling,” Page said. “She has the prettiest smile. She’s just an amazing girl.”

Willis pitched seven innings in Game 2, giving up five runs, two earned, on nine hits and one walk. She also struck out one.

“Elleigh is a steady player who’s played all year,” Embry said. “She’s very good on the mound, she doesn’t mind working at it, and offensively, she’s really come through with some big hits for us.”

Tenly Grisham and Hamaya Fielder both went 2-for-4 in the second game, and Grisham also had a double, while Fielder tallied three RBIs. Page and Ben finished 2-for-3.

In Game 1, Neshoba Central put up four runs apiece in the first and sixths innings and tacked on two runs in the top of the seventh to come away with a 10-2 win. Willis and Fielder both went 2-for-4, and Fielder again drove in three runs while also tripling. Layana Morris was 2-for-3, Nautica Bacon went 3-for-4 and Page finished 2-for-4. Grisham also doubled in Game 1.

Willis was steady on the mound in the first game, pitching seven innings and giving up two runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

The state championship caps off a 33-4 season for the Lady Rockets, and Embry said he couldn’t be more proud of his players for playing to a high standard the entire fall.

“This group has worked their tails off to get where they are,” Embry said. “They’ve had people tell them they’re not supposed to be here or won’t be there and this and that, and they proved a lot of people wrong. It’s another testament to their hard work.”

Said Page, “It feels amazing. I’m glad to be back here again.”

While the season was full of challenges, Willis said the Lady Rockets’ state semifinal series with Newton County did a good job preparing her and her teammates for the title series on Saturday. Newton County forced a Game 3 last Tuesday night after the Lady Rockets won Game 1 before Neshoba Central took the rubber match 15-7

“The feeling is great,” Willis said. “We’ve put so much effort into getting this far, and we just had to finish it.”