Slow-pitch softball’s post-season has come up fast, as the Cathedral Lady Green Wave heads to Clarksdale at 3 p.m. today for a first-round, best-of-three series.

The Natchez Lady Bulldogs then host Biloxi at 1 p.m. Saturday, also a best-of-three series.

&uot;Everything I’ve heard about Clarksdale is that they are a really, really good team,&uot; said Cathedral head coach Lynn Ogden. &uot;They don’t have any weaknesses, from what I understand.&uot;

Clarksdale is located near Meridian, an area know for producing top-notch softball programs.

&uot;They have some big, strong girls,&uot; Ogden said. &uot;They play a lot of softball up there.&uot;

The Lady Green Wave finished the regular season at 9-6 overall and 5-3 in District 6-2A, a mark that tied Cathedral for first place. The state tie-breaker system, however, gave Loyd Star the district title and made Cathedral the runner-up.

&uot;This is better than I thought we’d do, losing as many seniors as we did,&uot; Ogden said. &uot;I’m pleased to be in this situation.

&uot;Win or lose, it can only get better after this year,&uot; Ogden said.

Natchez head coach Sue Johnson said she knows very little about the Biloxi team she and the Lady Bulldogs will host.

&uot;I know they’re good,&uot; she said. &uot;I know we’d better be ready to play, or no amount of information will help us.&uot;

Natchez finished the year as the District 6-5A champion and the Lady Bulldogs’ regular season mark was 16-8.

&uot;And we should have won all eight of those games,&uot; Johnson said. &uot;But we’ve been inconsistent in a lot of games.&uot;

That inconsistency has plagued Natchez all year, Johnson said.

&uot;We’ve been up and down,&uot; she said. &uot;To be state champions you must be consistent on offense and defense. Hopefully we’ve learned from our mistakes, but now we have to build on them.&uot;

Johnson said she doesn’t think a state title is an unrealistic goal.

&uot;I believe we can do it,&uot; she said. &uot;Saying and doing are two different things, but if we play like we’re capable of playing, we will win – bottom line.&uot;