By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

HATTIESBURG — One of the last prep softball games in the state this season will feature a powerhouse program from the “Southern Six”.

And that makes Saturday mornings rubber match between George County and Neshoba Central the “Sonic Big Game of the Week” in the “Southern Six” as sponsored by Sonic Drive In of South Mississippi.

This third and final game in the Class 6A State championship series is set for 10 a.m., here at The University of Southern Mississippi Softball Complex. The teams split the first two games, with the Lady Rebels winning the opener on Tuesday 4-1 before the Lady Rockers rebounded with an exciting 7-6 win Wednesday afternoon.

George County won a coin toss and will be the designated home team for the third and deciding game. The visiting team has won each of the first two games.

On Wednesday, Neshoba Central overcame a 6-3 deficit in the sixth by scoring four straight runs to end the game.

“That is what it is, we couldn’t hold the lead.” first-year GCHS head coach Anna Grace Cooley said. ‘They had some fight in them, and we just let them get away with it. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve got to fight harder come Saturday morning. The girls will dig deep and do what they always do; they’ll come to fight. We’ll be ready.”

After the loss, Cooley wasn’t sure whom she’d hand the ball in the circle to for the biggest game of the current campaign for both teams. Either Peyton Collins or Addison Davis has started every game throughout Region 4-6A play as well as the state playoffs.

Collins picked up the win with a complete game performance in the opener, and also suffered the loss in game two.

Davis started game two allowing four runs — two earned — in just over five frames of work. Collins relieved her with one out and two on in the top of the sixth.

Their teammates behind her did them no favors, however, committing four errors while managing just one base runner over the final two innings.

“Davis did a really good,” Cooley continued. “They were just kind of barreling her up a little bit, but she hit a few batters, so we made the decision to pull her and bring Peyton (Collins) in. We’ll have a two-day break for both of them, and we’ll make a decision about who will throw on Saturday.”

Cooley is confident in her crew going into the state championship finale.

“There’s not much I have to tell this group,” She concluded. “They know. They know how to fight. Like I’ve said from the beginning, they’re a tough group to beat, so when they do get beat, they get pretty mad about it. So I expect them to respond well on Saturday.”

Sonic Drive In of South Mississippi has long been a staunch supporter of prep sports in the “Southern Six” and all across the Southeast. There are several Sonic locations for all of your pre-game and post-game meal needs if heading to Hattiesburg for the big game Saturday.