HORATIO - Lillie Faye McWhorter pitched a three-hitter and Kathryn Dixon drove in three runs as the Woodlawn Lady Bears claimed the Class 2A South Region Championship Saturday with a 6-1 victory over the Spring Hill Lady Bears.
Woodlawn will be the South Region's no. 1 seed heading into the Class 2A State Tournament this week at Greenland in Northwest Arkansas. The Lady Bears received an unexpected firstround bye for Thursday's opening when their scheduled opponent, Des Arc, had for forfeit due to not having enough players.
The Lady Bears automatically advance to the Class 2A quarterfinals on Friday. They will play the winner between Lavaca (18-5), the no. 2 seed from the West, and Quitman (20-11), the no. 3 seed from the Central, at 3 p.m. on Friday.
This is the second consecutive for the Lady Bear softball team to make the state tournament.
In Saturday's regional championship game, Woodlawn plated the game's first run in the bottom of the third after Jaci Hoyt singled to lead off the inning and then scored on Dixon's sacrifice bunt.
Neither team scored again until Woodlawn added three runs in the fifth.
With one out in the fifth, Dixon singled. After the next batter flied out for the second out, McWhorter and Kendall Tooke drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Kaitlyn Webb then singled to score two runs, and a follow-up hit by Maci Harrison extended it a 4-0 lead.
Spring Hill had two of its three hits in the top of the sixth to produce its lone run, making it 4-1 at the time. However, Woodlawn answered with two more in the bottom of the frame.
Lily White singled to start the sixth before Hoyt reached on a fielder's choice. Dixon then had a line drive hit into center that drove in both runners to make it 6-1.
Spring Hill did get a runner on base with one out in the seventh off an error, but McWhorter struck out the next batter and the got a fly ball to end the game....
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