By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

BRANDON — Ocean Springs struck first with a huge road upset win Thursday night in game one of the Class 7A South State championship series.
The Lady Greyhounds overcame an early 2-0 deficit and finished off the game with seven unanswered runs to snatch a 7-2 win over perennial state power Northwest Rankin. Ocean Springs now sits 26-7 overall, while the Lady Cougars, who are nationally-ranked and have won three straight Class 7A state titles, are 26-7.

The Lady Greyhounds now just need one more win in the next two days to move on to the overall state finals for the first time in program history.
“I am so blessed with this team of amazing young ladies,” veteran OSHS head coach Lindsay Linton, who is in her 16th season at the helm of the Lady Greyhounds, said. “They have bought in from day one this season and we are having fun! The lord has given them the talents to play this game and they know win or lose the sun will rise the next day.”
Trailing by that aforementioned 2-0 deficit, OSHS started its comeback with a four run fourth frame, that included a huge three-run home run by Laynee Davis that turned the momentum and put the visitors up for good at 4-2.

Taylor Farra drove in the first OSHS run of the game with an RBI-double. Then, up 4-2, Farra made it 5-2 with a run-scoring scarifice fly in the fifth.
The Lady Greyhounds then sealed the deal in the seventh, as K’Lee Gum delivered a run-scoring triple and Emma Franklin followed with an RBI-single to close out the scoring.
Meanwhile, after a bit of an unlucky third inning when she allowed those two runs, OSHS starting pitcher Franklin put it in cruise control in the circle and went the distance to earn the win as she twirled a masterpiece witha one-hiitter while striking out eight in the process.

Kerrigan Scott had three hits to pace OSHS at the plate, while Gum added two hits.
This marks the third appearance in the South State championship for the Lady Greyhounds in the past decade.
Game two is set for Ocean Springs High at 6 p.m., Friday night.