By Stan Caldwell/Sports Writer

HATTIESBURG — The tears and vacant looks on the faces of the George County softball team told the whole story.

The Rebels had a repeat state championship in their hands, with a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, and let it slip away in the most agonizing way possible.

South Panola scored two run in the bottom of the seventh, then added two more in the bottom of the eighth to snatch an 8-7 victory in the deciding third game of the Class 6A State Championship Series at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.

The Tigers (32-4-1) denied George County a second consecutive state title with the extra-inning win. The Rebels finished their season at 29-8.

“I wanted it so badly for our seniors,” said George County coach Anna Grace Rigby. “Especially with the emotions of this week, and all we’ve been through, I wanted it for them.

“They’re incredible; they’re warriors. They fought to the very end, every game they played here. I’m proud of them.”

A team that had thrived on pressure all season finally wilted under the heat of the moment, making a critical mistake in the seventh that allowed the Tigers to tie the game, and senior ace Addison Davis ran out of gas in the late innings, after coming on in relief in the third inning.

George County thought it had a game-winning hit when sophomore Paisley Pipkins drove in three runs with an inside-the-park home run in the top of the sixth.

“I was just trying to help my team,” said Pipkins. “I wanted to win so badly.”

Truly, this was a game worthy of two championship-caliber programs, and they traded haymakers right from the get-go.

The Rebels started it off with a two-run rally after two were out in the top of the first off South Panola senior left-hander Grady Beck Wilson.

Senior Blakely Slay singled up the middle, stole second and scored on a single by junior Braylee Bishop, who came home on a triple into the rightfield corner by junior Kyleigh Howell. But Wilson got a strikeout to end the inning.

The Tigers wasted no time getting their offense going in the bottom of the first against junior Peyton Collins, who got the start for George County.

Junior Hailey Heafner led off with an infield single into the hole between shortstop and third base, and she scored when sophomore Hannah Robertson smacked a 1-1 pitch over the fence in leftfield for a two-run homer.

Senior Olivia Phillips singled to left, and with one out, junior Kaliegh Cobb doubled down the leftfield line. But Phillips was thrown out trying to score from first, and Collins kept it tied 2-2 with a flyout with Cobb at third.

But Collins labored in the bottom of the second, when South Panola scored two more runs, all after two were out.

Freshman Kayleigh Shearon, batting in the nine-hole, reached on an infield single between first and second base. Heafner walked on an eight-pitch at-bat, and Robertson loaded the bases with a walk on a nine-pitch at-bat, and Phillips brought two runs home with a single.

Collins got out of the inning with a strikeout, with runners at second and third, but she threw 38 pitches in the inning, giving her 54 for the first two innings, and her day was done.

Davis came on to start the bottom of the third, and she came on after the Rebels narrowed the margin with a run in the top of the inning.

Senior Aryana Dixon reached on an infield single to lead off the inning, she stole second and third, then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Slay.

For four innings, Davis was brilliant, retiring 12 of the first 13 batters she faced. A one-out single to Shearon in the fourth was the only Tiger baserunner until the fateful seventh inning.

Wilson was equally effective until the sixth inning, when the Tigers made two big mistakes. With one out, Davis reached on an infield error, and another infield single by senior Hadleigh Tatum with two outs set the stage for Pipkins.

On the first pitch of the at-bat, Pipkins drove a high fly that bounced off the leftfield fence into the corner, and Pipkins raced around the bases and scored standing up to give the Rebels a 6-4 lead.

“She missed the pitch,” said Pipkins. “The one time she missed the whole game. Oh, I was going to get four (bases), no matter what. I was gone.

“It is so tough. I just love my team. I thank God that we had the ability to be here. I grew up with these girls, and I’m sure they’ll make an impact wherever they go.”

Davis appeared energized with the two-run lead, and retired the Tigers in order in the sixth. Bur Wilson kept George County at bay with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh.

Still, Davis opened the bottom of the seventh by striking out Shearon. But Heafner drew a walk, then Roberston doubled, with Heafner moving to third. Despite having first base open, Rigby chose to pitch to Phillips, who came into the game batting .571 for the series.

The Rebels got what they wanted, a run-scoring sacrifice fly, the relay to third sailed over the head of Pipkins at third base, and Robertson raced home with the tying run. It was the only error George County committed all week, but it came at the worst possible time.

“That was Addison telling me she wanted to go get her,” Rigby said about pitching to Phillips. “And she did. She did her job. She got the fly ball, and I’m 100 percent behind that.”

Davis helped her own cause in the top of the eighth, driving in Bishop from second with a one-out double. But she was tagged out trying to stretch it to a triple, leaving the score 7-6.

Davis was one strike away from nailing down the victory for the Rebels in the bottom of the eighth, but that third out never came.

A hit-batter put runners at the corners, after the Tigers’ lead runner went to third on a fly ball to open the inning.

Davis got a 1-2 count on freshman Allie Witaker, who took a second ball, then fouled off three straight pitches before taking a third ball, then was hit with a pitch to load the bases.

Davis then lost Shearon for a run-scoring walk, and Heafner applied the coup de grace with a single to drive in the game-winning run.

Wilson (28-4) allowed three earned runs on nine hits, she struck out four and walked one. Davis (16-6) gave up four runs, two earned, struck out four and walked two.

“These girls, especially these seniors, have bought into everything we’ve asked of them, since we brought them up,” said Rigby. “They made it to the state championships twice, won it last year. I can’t say enough good things about them. They’re awesome.”