Petal softball shuts out Northwest Rankin, throws out tying runner to force Game 3
Northwest Rankin softball got a crucial base hit in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the potential tying runner was thrown out in a close play at the plate for the final out of the game.
Petal hung on to it's shutout, and the win, prevailing 1-0 on Saturday in Game Two of the South State Series.
"In my head, I felt like whoever scored first today would win it," Petal coach Wendy Hogue said. "Did I think one run could do it? Absolutely. Anytime the defense does what it's supposed to do and the pitcher does what she's capable of, you feel pretty good about it."
Petal's Natalie Herrington pitched a complete game shutout and picked up the win.
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The win sets up a decisive Game Three on Monday at Petal (23-4). The winner will advance to the MHSAA Class 6A state tournament next week. It's been over a decade since either team has made the state tournament.
"The winner goes to state. That's all you can ask for," Northwest Rankin coach Mike Armstrong said. "They've got a good atmosphere, and we've played well down there. They've scored one run in 14 innings on us. We haven't scored but five. But we feel good. The only thing you can do better than give up one is give up zero."
The only run of the game came when Kinley Hogue launched a solo home run over the left-field fence in the third inning.
"In the first at-bat I saw it well and didn't think I would get the same pitch again," Hogue said. "She threw an off-speed pitch, and I knew I had to wait back and try to hit it a long ways. I knew it was gone, and it felt really good. I think I squared it up pretty well."
Northwest Rankin (26-6) had a pair of runners in scoring position in the sixth inning, but the runner on third got caught a step too far off the bag when a ground ball was hit to the third baseman. The runner tried escape the tag but was chased down. It was the closest Northwest Rankin came to scoring.
"If she doesn't run, they probably don't throw it," Armstrong said. "The next ball is hit to right field and we probably tag up and score. That's how you play the game. We had our chances to score, but we just didn't make it."
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Petal softball shuts out Northwest Rankin, forces decisive playoff game
