It was a pivotal week for Southside’s postseason hopes, and the Mavericks passed the test with flying colors.

They have to do the same thing next week in order to ensure a spot at the 6A State Tournament.

On the heels of a convincing win Tuesday at Bryant, Southside returned home on Thursday and took care of business once more. This time, the Mavs jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead and went on to run-rule Mount St. Mary in five, 11-0, in 6A-Central softball action at Evans Boys and Girls Club.

“They came out and hit up and down the lineup and did well defensively,” Southside coach Cassy Story said.

“We’re kind of peaking at a good time and we’re hoping to carry this over for the rest of this season.”

Southside (14-11, 4-8) still has work to do in order to make it to state. But the Mavs, who are currently in the sixth and final postseason spot out of the conference, control their own destiny if they can win next Tuesday at Little Rock Central; then at home on May 3 against Northside.

“I think we’re looking a lot better than what we were at the beginning,” Southside senior third baseman Caitlyn Bagby said. “We’re working better, we’re working together. ... Everything is really just coming together toward at the end of the season and I’m happy about it.”

Bagby helped do her part for the Mavs in the first inning.

Hannah Hogue led things off with a triple and scored when the next batter, Madi Conklin, singled just over the reach of the Belles’ shortstop. With two on and two out, Bagby singled both runners home to make it 3-0.



Southside added on to its lead, scoring four more runs in the second to make it 7-0. Hogue had her second straight triple, which produced a run, Ella Kohler had an RBI single and Bagby drove in her third run with a sacrifice fly to deep center.

“Our hitting’s coming together as a team, we’re getting hits consecutively back to back and really everybody bottom to top, top to bottom is contributing,” Bagby said.

The Mavs scored four more runs in the fourth, including RBI singles from Kendall Willis and Meliah Hunter.

Hunter, also the team’s pitcher, finished off the shutout by retiring the side in order in the top of the fifth.

For the game, Hunter allowed just two hits — one of which was a single to lead off the game — and struck out four.

“It had to be done because if I didn’t pitch and hit my spots, then they could have easily hit us and could have easily come back and put more balls in play. ... But we came out and played (Thursday), I came out and played (Thursday) and we did really well as a team,” Hunter said.

Eight Mavericks got at least one hit, with Hogue the only player with two hits as she was 2-for-4 with those two triples.


