Lady Rebels force Game Three of the State Championship after thrilling 6–4 Extra Inning win over South Panola

The first half of the game flew by thanks to an absolute pitchers’ duel led by Peyton Collins, who kept South Panola’s offense quiet. The defense backed her up in style, highlighted by a standout play from senior right fielder Hadleigh Tatum that set the tone for the Lady Rebels.
Looking to break the scoreless stretch, senior second baseman Jordyn Bradley found a pitch she liked and crushed it off the left center wall. She turned on the jets and slid safely into third for a leadoff triple to start the fourth inning. Moments later, Blakely Slay helped finish the job. A pitch in the dirt skipped away, and Bradley made an incredible read, racing home on the passed ball to score the first run of the day.
South Panola responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lady Rebels refused to fold. Senior center fielder Aryana Dixon delivered a clutch slap hit over shortstop, driving in two runs to tie the game at 3–3. That momentum carried into the sixth inning as Kyleigh Howell lifted a deep fly to right — caught, but plenty deep for Slay to tag and score, giving George County a 4–3 lead.
South Panola added one in the bottom half to tie it again, but pitcher Addison Davis locked in, firing strike after strike to push the game into extras. In the top of the eighth, the Lady Rebels finally broke through. Braylee Bishop ripped a shot right up the middle, and both Paisley Pipkins and Dixon came flying home to put George County ahead 6–4.
Down to their final out, South Panola threatened — until Slay made yet another game saving play. A hard-hit ball to short was fielded cleanly, and she fired a laser to first to seal the win and keep the Lady Rebels’ season alive. With the 6–4 victory, George County forces a winner take all Game Three. The Lady Rebels will now play for back to back state championship titles Friday afternoon with first pitch set for 4:45 PM. Rebel fans — your team isn’t done yet. We’ll see you there!