By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

Both Poplarville and Picayune will get started in the state slow pitch softball playoffs this week.

The Lady Hornets will begin action in the Class 4A South State playoffs today, hosting Northeast Lauderdale in a best of three series starting at 5 p.m.

This is a rematch of last year’s opening round series, which Poplarville won to advance to the second round.

Allysa Graeter is having an outstanding year to pace fourth ranked Poplarville, which is 20-1 overall and has won 18 straight games.

Graeter is hitting an outstanding .707 at the plate and she is a perfect 19-0 on the mound.

“She is having a great season,” Poplarville head coach Jonathan Ray said. “

Other leading hitters for the Lady Hornets are Kayla Ross and Janessa Dedeaux, each of whom is hitting just over .500.

“We know Northeast Lauderdale is good, they always have a good program,” Ray said. Northeast Lauderdale began the season ranked in the Top 10 in the state but has since dropped out.

The winner of the Poplarville-NEL series will meet the winner of the North Pike-Florence series on Saturday. Poplarville will be on the road in either scenario.

• Picayune was originally slated to begin the Class 5A South State playoffs today as well today against McComb, but that series has been delayed until Thursday due to wet field conditions at the Lady Tide complex as well as the fact that McComb is taking exams this week.

“We just decided it would be best to take our chances Thursday,” Picayune head coach Kristi Mitchell said.

The Lady Tide, 13-5, is led at the plate by Brandi Rabion who is hitting .569 and has driven in 14 runs as well as Taylor Seals (two home runs and 18 RBI’s) and Sarah Dodd (two homers and 16 RBI’s). Dodd is Picayune’s top pitcher as well.

The winner of the Picayune-MHS series will play the winner of the Vancleave-West Jones series on Saturday. Picayune would host Vancleave but travel to West Jones.