By Ashley Crutcher
With 10-2 and 5-3 second round wins over Clinton, the South Panola Lady Tiger fastpitch softball team advanced to the North State round for the first time since 2012.
South Panola will travel to Southaven tonight to take on the Lady Chargers in the first game at 6 p.m. Southaven took out Hernando two games to one in the second round of playoffs. Saturday, the teams will play here in games two and, if necessary, three at 2 p.m.
The Lady Tigers jumped into the top 100 nationally-ranked teams at No. 84 last week and moved to No. 2 in the state with a 23-3 overall record.
South Panola 10, Clinton 2
The South Panola fastpitch softball team took down Clinton 10-2 Tuesday night thanks to a sixth-inning six-run rally at home in the second round of playoffs.
In bottom of the sixth, South Panola was ahead 4-2 after a Clinton solo homerun in top of the sixth.
Ali Cummins doubled and drove in Chloe Morgan and Mallory Myers.
Caroline Dickins, who had walked, scored on a sacrifice fly by Morgan Parker for the 7-2 lead. A double by Sydney Morgan drove home Cummins.
Back-to-back Clinton errors, plated Sydney Morgan and allowed Maci Kirkland and Amber Helmes to reach bases.
Back at the top of the line-up, Chloe Morgan singled past shortstop driving home Kirkland for the last run of the game.
In bottom of the second, Chloe Morgan drove home Sydney Morgan and Kirkland. Sydney Morgan had doubled and Kirkland got hit by a pitch to get on base.
 Amber Helmes beat out the throw on a bunt to load the bases and she scored on a bunt by Myers for the 3-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, bases were loaded after a walk by Haley Reid, Morgan Parker and Sydney Morgan. Kirkland drove in Reid for the score.
Clinton scored its first run in the fifth on a double RBI (run batted in).
South Panola 5, Clinton 3
Lady Tiger Chloe Morgan started the game with a single to right center followed by a walk by Myers. A sacrifice fly by Cummins drove in Chloe Morgan.
On defense, the first batter for Clinton reached the plate on an error, tying the score 1-1 in the first inning. 
With the Lady Tigers unable to score in the third or fourth inning, Clinton took the lead on a solo homerun.
In the top of the fifth, Chloe Morgan doubled to center, driving home Helmes, who singled.
A double to left by Myers drove Chloe Morgan home for the 3-2 Lady Tiger lead.
A single to center followed by a double to left allowed Clinton to tie the score again, 3-3.
In the sixth, Parker took the lead for the Lady Tigers with a double to left, scoring on a single to left by Kirkland.
Holding Clinton to three runs, the Lady Tigers scored their final run in the seventh. Chloe Morgan singled to center and scored on a double by Dickins.
The Lady Tigers held Clinton to three runs in the bottom of the seventh as Chloe Morgan ended the second game the same as she did the first, with a catch at center.
Chloe Morgan not only ended both games, but lead on offense as well; going 8-for-9, in both games, with six singles, two doubles and four RBIs.
Pitcher Caroline Dickins completed both games in seven innings each.
In game one, Dickins struck out nine of the 29 batters she faced, allowing five hits, two earned runs, three walks and one homerun.
In the second game, Dickins fanned seven of the 31 batters faced, allowing five hits, three runs, two earned runs, one homerun and three walks.