By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

POPLARVILLE — Long live the Queen.

Just like the most powerful piece on the chess board, defending Class 6A state champion George County punched its ticket back to the title tilt with a 9-2 win over Pearl River Central here at Wildcat Stadium on the campus of Pearl River Community College Saturday night.

The win pushes the Lady Rebels to an impressive 28-6 overall, as they head to Hattiesburg for the overall Class 6A state championship series beginning Tuesday afternoon. It marks the third time in the four seasons GCHS will play for a state title after taking the crown in both 2023 and last year.

PRC finishes the campaign 23-10-1.

George County trailed only briefly in game one in the two game sweep. And after a comfortable 11-1 win in five innings Thursday when they tallied 11 unanswered runs to end the game, the Lady Rebels carried that momentum over into game two Saturday by scoring five fast first frame runs to set the tone and take quick command.

Blakely Slay’s RBI-single got the ball rolling, and after she came around to score on a Lady Devil error Kyleigh Howell followed with a run-scoring single of her own to make it 3-0. Addison Davis, who homered in the opener, then repeated that feat with a towering tow-run smash to left field that completed that opening stanza explosion to make it 5-0.

The game stayed that way until PRC notched both its runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run single by their offensive standout Addison Davis to cut the deficit to 5-2.

However, that would be as close as the Lady Devils would get as GCHS responded with four more runs in the sixth, thanks in large part to a two-run triple off the bat of Jordyn Bradley.

Both Davis and Bradley led the Lady Rebels game-winning 12-hit attack with two hits and two RBIs each. Both Slay and Howell chipped in two hits apiece also, and Howell had a double.

Both Peyton Collins and Davis took turns in the circle for the Lady Rebels, combining for 13 strikeouts and just five hits allowed. Davis got the win with four frames or relief work to finish up the game.

PRC’s Davis had two hits and accounted for both runs for the Lady Blue Devils.

Bayli Cucinello took the loss with a complete game effort.

George County will face South Panola for the state title.