NEW HOPE — The Trojan softball team closed out its regular season with a win over district rivals Lafayette at home on Thursday. The matchup had major implications for playoff seeding, and New Hope’s 10-6 win was not enough to secure them the top seed.
With the game seemingly won after the top half of the seventh inning, both teams huddled up and the coaches met with the umpire to discuss playing a home half of the final inning. Because Lafayette won by 5 in the Tuesday meeting between the teams, the belief was that the Trojans had to match and were looking for an opportunity to do so.
The officials stated after the game that, because of district championship implications within the game, they needed to give the Trojans the home half of the inning with a chance to match.
Trojan head coach Casey Finch Halford said afterward that the coaches agreed to consult with the Mississippi High School Activities Association about the matter of a tiebreaker on Friday, and it was determined that New Hope would be the No. 2 seed, making Lafayette district champions.
New Hope, 18-7, managed to put three runners on base with no outs, but three straight outs at the plate saw the game finish 10-6.
The drama of looking for a district title and the confusion of how the result plays into their seeding seemed to distract from the fact that the Trojans won the game, and did so against one of the best teams in the state.
“I had to remind them, we still won the game,” Halford said. “Regardless of the outcome, a district title is great, but a state championship is what we’re aiming for. Last year, the third seed from our district won state, and we had swept that team in the regular season. They got hot and won it all, and that was my message. Now is when we really start working.”
Trojan pitcher Kaselyn Harcrow earned another win on the mound with six strikeouts over seven innings of work. She also provided three hits and an RBI. Tatum McBride had three hits and 2 RBIs of her own while Jeoreia Henry drove in three runs on two hits.
In total, seven of the order got at least one hit on the night, helping to build a lead in the later innings and hold off a comeback attempt by the Commodores.
“This group figured it out themselves,” Halford said of her team. “If the top of the order doesn’t get it going the bottom will, and before the game something we always say is: ‘Sometimes you, sometimes me, always us.’ That’s just our mantra pregame. It’s easy in a team sport to get upset when you don’t get the reps you want, but it’s important to understand that when we win we all win.”
Playoff seeding and matchups will be set by the start of next week, and while the Trojans may not be the top seed, they have posted a district record to be proud of. Sweeps of West Point, Clarksdale, Corinth and Pontotoc helped the team gain momentum and confidence ahead of what they hope will be a deep postseason run.
“Talent is important, hard work is important, but if you aren’t gelling all together and have the same mindset of team success over individual success, then you have a team of individuals playing for selfish reasons,” Halford said. “They’ve been able to put all that aside and they work so hard for each other. Everyone behind the girl on the mound doesn’t want to let her down, and it’s amazing to be a part of. I get a great seat for it.”
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