By SAM STAFF/Sports Writer

JACKSON — In what was billed as a “Battle of Titans” on the prep softball diamond in the state of Mississippi, Hernando shutout George County 2-0.

The game, which pitted the top Class 7A team in the state in the Lady Tigers at 20-0 against the top Class 6A squad in the state in the Lady Rebels at 20-1, took place here at Belhaven University in this Capital city Saturday afternoon. The contest was not originally on either team’s regular season schedule at the beginning of the current campaign, but added recently when both squads got off to such successful starts.

George County won the Class 5A state champion two years ago before expansion by the Mississippi High School Activities Association last year moved the Lady Rebels up a classification. Hernando won the Class 6A state title in 2021.

Hernando, which fell in the Class 7A state finals to Northwest Rankin last season, got all the runs in the contest in the third frame on a two-run, two-out double to left by Hayden Hodge.

That would be all the offensive support a trio of Hernando hurlers would need, however, as Olivia Skinner, Kate Johnson and Madeline Sowell all combined on the shutout despite allowing eight hits and striking out just four.

Skinner, who started almost exclusively as an eighth-grader on the hill for the Lady Tigers last season, has returned for her freshman campaign and picked up the win starting and going the first three frames. She gave way to Johnson, who also tossed a trio of innings, before Sowell wrapped things up in the seventh for a save.

Olivia Higginbottham collected a game-high three hits for Hernando in the winning attack, as the Lady Tigers also recorded eight hits. Callie Desmond had a double as did Hodge.

Aryana Dixon and Blakely Slay had two hits apiece to lead the Lady Rebels, while Hadleigh Tatum and Kyleigh Howell each had a double apiece.

Peyton Collins went four frames in the circle to take the loss.

George County, now at 20-2 overall, gets back into Region 4-6A play at home against Picayune Tuesday night.

Hernando, the prohibitive favorite to win the Class 7A state championship this season, is now 21-0.