By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PICAYUNE — The defending Class 5A state champions are rolling right along again this season on a higher level.
George County went on the road and knocked off Picayune Tuesday night 3-1 to maintain its hold on first place in Region 4-6A. The Lady Rebels moved to 6-1 in the region race and sit 14-5 overall. George County stands one game ahead of both Hancock and the Lady Tide, who each are 5-2.

After three scoreless frames in Tuesday night’s rematch of last year’s South State quarterfinals, Peyton Collins put GCHS up 1-0 when she drove in a run on a fielder’s choice.
Brooklyn Wilson knotted the game up at 1-1 for Picayune with an RBI-double in the bottom of the fifth frame.
But the Lady Rebels bounced right back with single runs in both of the sixth and seventh stanzas to take the lead and secure the win. Collins drove in her second run on a ground-out, fielder choice in the sixth to make it 2-1, and then Natalie Jones provided an insurance run on an RBI sacrifice to end the scoring.
Addison Davis was solid in the circle all night for George County, as she twirled a complete game three-hitter with eight strike outs to pick up the win.
Allie Bond also went the distance for Picayune, taking the tough luck loss.

Hadleigh Tatum and Jordyn Bradley each had two hits apiece to pace GCHS at the plate, while Blakely Slay added a triple to the winning effort.
Three different players had one hit apiece for Picayune.
The two teams will face off again Friday night in Lucedale.
The Lady Rebels swept the Lady Tide in two games to open the Class 5A South State state playoffs last season en route to its first-ever fast pitch state championship on the softball diamond. Both teams moved up a classification this year when the Mississippi High School Activities Association expanded to seven classifications for the first time ever.