By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

OCEAN SPRINGS — Ocean Springs is headed to the overall fast-pitch softball state championship for the first time in program history.

The Lady Greyhounds stunned perennial state power Northwest Rankin by completing a two gme sweep here Monday afternoon at “The Jack” with an 11-8 win in game two. The win moves OSHS into the Class 7A state title match-up in Hattiesburg starting Wednesday against Hernando at The University of Southern Miss Softball Complex.

Ocean Springs is now a solid 28-8 overall, while the Lady Cougars, who captured the last three state titles in the largest classification, end the season at 26-8.

Lady Greyhound sophomore catcher Gracie Sheperd smashed a pair of key home runs, and ended the contest with those two hits as well as a game-high six RBIs and six total bases.

“Gracie Shepherd locks in every single game,” veteran OSHS head coach Lindsay Linton said. “She knew she had to be disciplined at the plate and stick to the plan. She did that, and it showed. She loves this game and she leaves on the field every game.”

Shepherd’s first frame grand slam amidst a six run opening at bat gave the home team a quick 6-0 lead they would never relinquish. The early eruption also completed a 13-0 unanswered run for OSHS that carried over from a 7-2 comeback win in game one.

“I told this team from day one that everyday it is a state championship mentality,” Linton added. “Every rep, sprint, throw, every single thing and they bought in. This is all about these girls and giving God every bit of glory because in the end He brought these girls with these talents together for this 2026 team.”

The teams then traded long balls in the third, as NWR’s Sybil Glover’s two run bomb helped sliced the deficit in half but OSHS responded with a three-run home run from Emma Franklin to make it 6-3.

And Shepherd wasn’t done either. After Northwest Rankin rallied for three more runs in the sixth to make it 9-6, Shepherd smacked a two-run round-tripper over the centerfield fence to basically seal the deal for OSHS at 11-6.

Franklin, meanwhile, struggled a bit in the circle at times allowing 11 hits, but after allowing two more runs in the seventh to result in the final count, she induced a ground out to begin the South State championship celebration.

Addison Johnson also had two hits for OSHS, and Kerrigan Scott had a double in the game-winning attack.

Franklin went to the distance to earn the pitching win.