KOSSUTH – Kossuth came out firing in the opening round of the Class 3A softball playoffs.
The Lady Aggies (16-7) scored three early runs after having four of their eight hits in the first inning, and Maddie Mask tossed yet another shutout in the 5-0 victory on Saturday afternoon.
“We came out hot, and then we tried to do too much at the plate a few times,” Kossuth coach Brandon Bobo said. “Overall I was pretty impressed with them. They did what we needed to do. We cooled off a little bit, and now we’re starting to get hot again at the plate. We had three two out hits that scored runs, and that’s what you have to get in the playoffs.”
After Mask retired the Lady Tigers in order in the top of the first, Hadley James slapped a double to the gap in right center to start off the bottom of the inning. Mask singled up the middle for a quick 1-0 advantage.
Victoria Fields also hit an RBI single to bring in courtesy runner Alana Lewis, and after a couple of strikeouts, Cailyn Johnson added on to the lead with her base hit.
The Lady Aggies went down in order in the next two innings and missed out on a good opportunity to add to their lead in the fourth.
Macie Starling drew a leadoff walk but was caught stealing. After hits by Johnson and Caliann Mitchell, a fielder’s choice got Hatley out of the inning with the 3-0 lead still standing.
Kossuth was able to add some insurance runs in the fifth. James led off with another hit, and Mask bunted her over to second. Fields added her second hit to put runners on the corners with one out, and an Annabelle Marlar groundout made it 4-0.
Starling smashed an RBI single and moved to second on a bobbled ball in the outfield.
James, Fields, Johnson and Mitchell all had multiple hits.
Mask allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out 11. She allowed two of her three baserunners with one out in the top of the second but recovered quickly with a pair of strikeouts.
“Maddie knows her defense is going to make plays behind her,” Bobo said. “So she can just pitch. She knows she can throw any pitch because they are going to make the plays behind her. That’s what it takes to win in the playoffs.”
Game 2 was on Monday night at Hatley. The winner of that series moves on to face Yazoo County in the second round on Friday.
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