By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PERKINSTON — George County grabbed its third straight win over defending Class 6A South State champion Hancock this year in dramatic fashion Thursday night.

And the comeback decision moved the Lady Rebels within one more win of returning to the state championship round for the first time since winning the Class 5A crown two years ago.

George County used several Lady Hawk errors as fuel in a three run sixth stanza rally, that in the process erased a 2-0 deficit and secured that third consecutive win over its fellow Region 4-6A foe here at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The Lady Rebels moved to an impressive 29-2 with the win while Hancock dropped to 22-4, with three of the losses coming to GCHS which swept the two game season series.

“The girls have shown resilience throughout this entire season, so I didn’t expect anything else last night.” first-year GCHS head coach Anna Grace Cooley said. “Never at any point did I think we were out of it. These girls always find a way.”

Hancock senior standout pitcher Teegan DeWitt shutdown the Lady Rebels bats through the first five frames, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. But she and her Lady Hawk teammates did themselves no favors in the bottom of the sixth, committing three of their four errors in the contest in the decisive inning.

Alexis O’Neal led off the stanza for GCHS by reaching on a fielding error, and Aryana Dixon followed with a bunt single. Two batters later, Blakely Slay sliced a two-run double to center that put the Lady Rebels on the board and knotted the affair up at 2-2. Addison Davis followed with a pop up that Hancock mis-played allowing Slay to score the go-ahead run for the final count.

Cambria Necaise doubled to lead off the top of the seventh for HHS, but Davis left her standing there after inducing a fly out and then striking out the final two Lady Hawk batters to seal the exciting win.

George County starter Peyton Collins was impressive in the circle as well, as she worked six solid stanzas allowing just three hits and two runs while striking out eight to earn the win. Davis notched a save.

Slay’s two hits and two RBI’s paced George County offensively.

“Blakely Slay made a big time play in a big time moment twice, and the energy and belief from the entire group finished it off for us.” Cooley added. “Both pitchers Collins and Davis did a phenomenal job, but the jobs not finished. We will need the same belief and resilience to get one more to be where we want to be.”

DeWitt’s run-scoring triple in the fourth put Hancock up 1-0, and Paige Kreher made it 2-0 with an RBI-sacrifice fly.

DeWitt had two hits for HHS, and she also suffered the tough-luck loss.

Game two is slated for Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., at the same venue.