By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

HATTIESBURG — The St. Patrick girls have a trifecta on their mind as they begin play in the state softball championship here Wednesday morning.

The Lady Irish are attempting to win the third Class 3A state title in thee different sports in the past three months when they face off with Mantachie in the best of three series on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi. Game one is set for 10 a.m., Wednesday morning as the second day of action kicks off.

The SPHS softball team hopes to follow in the footsteps of both the girl’s soccer squad and the girl’s track and field team which both brought home state championships since the calendar flipped to 2024.

The Lady Irish softball squad wrapped up the Class 3A South State championship by sweeping Wesson late last week. St. Patrick went on the road and beat the Lady Cobras 4-2 on Thursday before returning home and pulling out a 7-3 win to secure the trip to the overall state finals.

In game one, the Lady Irish overcame a 2-1 deficit late in the game with two runs in the top of the sixth and an insurance run in the top of the seventh to seal the win.

Allee Bennett’s RBI-single in the sixth gave SPHS a lead it would never relinquish, and Addyson Dupree also scored on a passed ball in that. stanza.

Elizabeth Colson’s RBI-single in the seventh ended the scoring, while her run-scoring sacrifice bunt in the top of the first provided the first run of the game as well.

Bennett went the distance in the circle to pick up the pitching win, as she twirled a two-hitter and struck out three.

In Game two, the Lady Irish didn’t wait quite as long to rally for the win even though the hole was a bit bigger to crawl out of.

Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, St. Patrick exploded for a six spot to take command and roll on to the win.

Zoriah Martin’s two-run single was the big blow in the uprising, while Sophia Oehms, Bennett and Maggie Buckley each accounted for a run when all three drew bases-loaded walks in three consecutive plate appearances. Rowan Romano also had a run-scoring fielders choice to begin the rally.

Peyton Parks worked the first four frames to pick up the pitching win, while Buckley finished up.

As the Lady Irish attempt to capture the third state title in the past three months for the school in a girl’s sport, it would cap a banner year for the girls athletic program for the Biloxi school. The cross country team finished second overall in the state and the volleyball team finished as the South state runner-up. Also, the girl’s basketball team advanced to the Class 3A South State quarterfinal Tournament.

St. Patrick is gunning for its fifth overall fast-pitch state title and first since 2018.