Southwest Lady Bears softball earns playoff bid after strong season

The Southwest Lady Bears softball team has qualified for the Region 23 Tournament after winning three of their last six games. The team earned the No. 9 seed and will travel to Co-Lin on Saturday, May 2, to face No. 8 Hinds in a play-in game for a chance to advance to the double-elimination bracket.

The Lady Bears finished the regular season with a 28-16 overall record and a 15-13 mark in conference play. They were ranked No. 19 and No. 24 in consecutive weeks and recorded notable wins over Jones, Pearl River, Itawamba, Hinds, and Northeast. They also had close losses to Jones, ranked sixth, and Co-Lin, ranked fourth.

Allie Ladnier led the pitching staff, compiling a 14-7 record with 110 strikeouts in 140 innings over 22 starts and 30 appearances. Freshmen Tristan Allen and Alexis Dejean made significant offensive contributions. Allen set the school’s single-season home run record with 18 and tied the record for RBIs with 55. Dejean added 11 home runs, ranking second on the team, and also had 55 RBIs.

Second baseman Corin Talbot broke multiple school records, including single-season and career runs and doubles. She led the team with a batting average of .444 and tied with Bailey McLin for the team lead with 63 hits. McLin, a freshman and leadoff hitter, set the school record for consecutive games with a hit at 21.

The Lady Bears aim to build on their successful season with a playoff run beginning Saturday against Hinds. Their postseason journey starts with the play-in game in Co-Lin.

Source: Original Article