NEW HOPE – The Trojans softball team completed a sweep of Pontotoc on Saturday to book its place in the North Half championship series in the MHSAA Class 5A playoffs. Sophomore ace Kaselyn Harcrow earned another win from the circle on Saturday in a 10-5 win on the road, with Jeoreia Henry and Tatum McBride driving in three runs apiece for New Hope.
The Trojans, now 22-7 on the season, completed a regular season sweep of the Warriors in district play last month, and now face the champions of Region 1, Lafayette, in the North Half series. The Commodores went through the No. 4 seed Corinth with 10-0 and 3-2 wins. Weather became a factor on Friday to postpone games across the state, but both teams won their respective best-of-3 series to set up another meeting, this time with a trip to the state championship game on the line.
Head coach Casey Finch Halford spoke on the strength of their district after the Game 1 win, and the commitment by all teams to contending for a title. Corinth defeated Lafayette in the playoffs last season on the way to a 5A state championship, and this year the Commodores returned the favor to set up a rematch with the Trojans.
“Our district is unreal,” she said. “There are so many high-caliber kids playing on these four teams, it’s just whoever is having a day. They’re all well-coached, they have great travel ball coaches too, and I can’t speak for everyone, but we have great parents invested in our kids. Their dads are out here throwing to them at 9 p.m. or in the cages with them. They just buy in, and it’s exciting to watch.”
The Trojans and Commodores split their regular-season meeting, the only district losses for either team, with Lafayette clinching the district title on a tiebreaker rule. Game 1 will be played at Lafayette at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
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