The Picayune Lady Tide opened the slowpitch softball season with a win for the third straight season.

Picayune hit the road and knocked off homestanding Purvis 8-0 Tuesday night.

The Lady Tide collected 10 hits, including three by Hillary Dickens, and followed the shutout pitching of Sarah Dodd in cruising to the win.

“I thought our defense played well both in the varsity and the JV games,” veteran Picayune head coach Kristie Mitchell said. “Our offense has some work to do, because we have to have more out-put in bigger games than we got tonight but I feel like we are capable of doing that.”

Dodd, a freshman making her first varsity start, allowed six hits and walked just one in recording the shutout win.

Dickens drove in three runs along with her three hits, while Brandi Rabion, Taylor Seals, Mallorie Mixon and Katie Kent each got a hit as well for the winning team.

The Lady Tide will return to action with the home-opener on Thursday hosting Petal.

“It was a good way to start the season,” Mitchell added. “But we will need to hit the ball better to beat Petal.”

• Picayune will also compete in the annual Pete Jackson Tournament in Poplarville next week.

That event will also mark the start of the season for the Poplarville Lady Hornets, who are the defending Division 7-4A champions.

The event begins one week from Thursday, on Aug. 14th, and then takes place over the next three days.

Picayune and Poplarville are the only two county teams that compete in slow pitch softball, as Pearl River Central only fields a fast pitch team.