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Vancleave, coached by Amanda Buck, concludes its season at 13-11.
Brookhaven plays for the Class 5A title Saturday morning at the VA Fields in Jackson. Game time for this best-of-3 series will be announced 11 a.m. The Lady Panthers await the North 5A winner. Teams still in semifinals play are New Hope versus Ridgeland and Neshoba Central, which eliminated Pearl in 3 games yesterday.
Brookhaven 4, Vancleave 2
"This was a total team effort tonight," said Covington.
Vancleave jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, aided by a pair of Brookhaven errors.
Brookhaven responded with an Emily Freeman run in the bottom of the inning. Freeman singled and later scored on a Christen Benson base hit.
The Lady Panthers plated 3 runs in the third. Stevie Wright singled. Freeman reached on an error. Madeline DeLaughter walked to load the bases. Benson's sacrifice fly scored Wright. Erica Bridwell's base hit plated Freeman and DeLaughter.
Benson singled twice and had 2 RBIs.
Emily Dawson led Vancleave with 2 singles. Vancleave 5, Brookhaven 4
The Lady Bulldogs were the designated home team for Game 2.
Vancleave got the game-winner with 1 out in the seventh and the game tied at 4-all. Taylor Zirlott and Emily Dawson hit consecutive base hits. Courtney Moore grounded into a fielder's choice; moving Zirlott to third. Hannah Dawson's single scored Zirlott.
Emily Dawson led the Lady Bulldogs with 4 singles. Brookhaven got 2 doubles from Wright. DeLaughter and Rashana Stewart had 2 singles apiece. Desiree Benson tripled and singled.
Brookhaven 10, Vancleave 0
"This was by far the best inning we played all year," Coach Covington said following a post-game, ice water shower from her players. "These girls did not give up after losing Game 2."
Ole Brook (15-17) sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning. Hosick, Wright, Freeman, DeLaughter, Christen Benson, Bridwell and Stewart crossed home plate, aided by 5 base hits and 2 Vancleave errors.
Hosick, Wright and DeLaughter scored in the fourth and shut down the Lady Bulldogs in the top of the fifth, 1-2-3 to win the series.
"This is a great opportunity for us, considering this is the first time that we are playing for state," said senior left centerfielder Stevie Wright. Wright singled and doubled to lend support for Brookhaven.
"It is a blessing to be going to the state championship, being that this is my first and last year playing," senior rightfielder Desiree Benson.
Christen Benson singled twice, doubled and had 3 RBIs in the clincher. Bridwell had a base hit and 2 RBIs.
Brookhaven's Brooke Hosick (2-1) and Vancleave's Cortney Holland (1-2) were the pitchers of record.
Vancleave got a pair of base hits from Courtney Moore.
