LIBERTY — After receiving a first-round bye, Wilkinson County Christian Academy’s fast-pitch softball team took care of business with an 8-2 win over Prairie View Academy at MAIS Class AA South State Tournament.

The Lady Rams’ win early Saturday afternoon at Amite School Center, where the tournament is being held, means they didn’t have play any more games that day and will await the winner of the Silliman Institute-Bowling Green School game.

Bowling Green received a first-round bye and had to wait until 1:30 p.m. to play its first game. And to no one’s surprise, it was Silliman, which got by District 6-AA runner-up CENLA Christian.

Prairie View advanced in the winners’ bracket by defeating the host Lady Rebels in a first-round game that was the first game of the day.

WCCA, the District 5-AA champion, improved to 18-6 on the season. The Lady Rams’ game against either the District 4-AA champion Lady Buccaneers or the District 5-AA runners-up Lady Wildcats Monday at 3 p.m.

If the Lady Rams win that game, they will advance to the championship game, which starts at 6 p.m. However, if they lose, they will fall to the losers’ bracket and will have to play at 4:30 p.m. WCCA would then have to win that game to advance to the championship round, where it would have to win twice to win the South State title.

Trinity Episcopal goes 2 and out at Class A South State

RIDGELAND — This wasn’t exactly the result the Trinity Episcopal Lady Saints wanted to have after winning the MAIS District 6-A championship – two and done at the Class A South State Tournament.

Unfortunately for the Lady Saints, that was exactly what happened Saturday at Freedom Ridge Park as Trinity was first defeated by District 8-A runner-up Heidelberg Academy 19-2 in four innings and then by District 5-A runner-up University Christian School 4-2.

In the first game, Trinity was its own worst enemy on defense. The Lady Saints committed seven errors — six of those in the top of the first inning alone which led to eight Heidelberg Academy runs.

“The difference was our defense. Seven errors in a state tournament is a sure sign that the team lost the game,” Trinity Episcopal head coach Chris Hutchins said.

The Lady Rebels had a commanding 15-0 lead before Trinity Episcopal scored its first run of the game in the top of the third inning. L. Brashier held the Lady Saints to just four hits while the defense behind her committed just one error.

Tuminello (no first name given) led Heidelberg Academy’s 12-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with a double and a triple.

That loss dropped Trinity Episcopal to the losers’ bracket and a match-up with the Lady Flames from Flowood. And although the Lady Saints played better, they couldn’t get the key hits when they needed them and that spelled the end of their season.

University Christian scored two runs in the top of the third inning and one in the top of the fourth to erase an early 1-0 deficit.

“We put ourselves in position to win. Several close calls that went against us affected the outcome of the game,” Hutchins said. “I was proud of my girls for playing with more effort in the second game. I was sorry we couldn’t finish stronger to cap off a very successful season.”

Indeed it was as Trinity Episcopal went undefeated in district play and had a six-game winning streak that put the Lady Saints at 9-6. But they had a regular-season ending loss at Franklin Academy and the two losses at South State to finish with a 9-9 record.