With wins on Saturday in the semifinals of the Class 4A South State slow-pitch softball playoffs, Poplarville and Picayune could have set up an all Pearl River County affair for the South State title.

Instead, both teams saw their seasons come to an end in abrupt fashion.

Poplarville, the Division champion, went on the road to Quitman and got swept in a pair of games 4-1 and 7-1.

The homefield advantage wasn’t any kinder to division runner-up Picayune, as the Lady Tide fell to visiting Lawrence County 4-0 and 10-4.

“We picked the wrong time of the year to play our worst two games,” Poplarville head coach Jonthan Ray, whose team finishes the season 26-6, said. “We didn’t bring our bats for whatever reason. You don’t win slow pitch games scoring one run.”

The lady Hornets were the number one team in the state for most of the season, the first time ever a team from Poplarville had been ranked atop any state poll in any sport, but the season for the Lady Hornets came to an end two steps from the state championship round.

“It’s disappointing, it’s not the way we wanted to end the year,” Ray, who loses three seniors, said. “We made some crucial errors in addition to not hitting the ball, and you can’t win doing that.”

Larke Nightengale, Christina Hollins Campbell and Taylor Meyers played their final slow pitch game for Poplarville on Saturday.

For Picayune, the Lady Tide finish the year 19-9 but loose only one senior.

“I think making it this far will help us in the future, it shows the girls coming back what it takes to win at this level,” Picayune head coach Kristie Mitchell said. “We have a young team and 19 wins far exceeded our expectations for this season.”

Tiffany Reed and Amanda Green each had several hits to lead Picayune at the plate Saturday.

The Lady Tide only lose catcher Natalie Guy from this team.

Lawrence County and Quitman will meet Tuesday for the South State title.