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BROOKHAVEN — Cathedral (7-2) led 1-0 going into the seventh inning but a walk tied the game and forced extra innings. In the ninth inning, Brookhaven Academy sophomore Miriam Wallace stepped up to the plate and became a hero delivering an RBI single. 

Brookhaven Academy won the game 4-3 to improve to 10-2 Monday night. 

Wallace said the single snapped a hitting slump for her. It was a pitch to the inside and was likely a curveball, she said. The ground ball to the right side was her only hit of the game. 

One of the best defensive plays of the night came from Cathedral’s third baseman Kinslee Young who snagged a pop up and threw a base runner out at first. Young had the Green Wave’s only run in regulation on a solo home run in the second inning. She also had a double in the eighth inning to help the Green Wave take a 3-1 lead. Brookhaven Academy scored three unanswered runs in the eighth and ninth innings to win the game. 

“We came here wanting to win we knew that Brookhaven Academy has always been good. It didn’t end as we wanted but we know we can play with them,” Young said. “It is a measuring game to measure us to see how we would do going against one of the four teams going to state. I think everyone was excellent. Lily our pitcher held it down for us as long as we could.” 

Brookhaven Academy has won back-to-back MAIS State Softball titles.

It was a tight game from the start with excellent pitching. Cathedral starting pitcher Lily Crum allowed just four hits in 8.2 innings pitched. She struck out 11 batters and did not give up a run until the seventh inning. 

Brookhaven Academy’s pitcher Kensey Covington pitched eight innings of work striking out seven batters and allowing just two runs to score on eight hits. She had some great defense behind her. Neither team committed an error in the game.

Young said Cathedral will keep pushing for a run at a state title. 

“It has always been that we were the youngest team. The time has now come. It is time to take State and do the best we can. It is crunch time,” Young said  We can grow and we have grown a lot. We have some young players and one senior. There is always room to grow.”

Cathedral plays at Central Hinds Academy Tuesday with first pitch set for 4:15 p.m.