South Side softball tops Dirty Dozen over Lexington

JACKSON - There’s a new No. 1 in the softball version of the Dirty Dozen.

Admittedly, it was a tough decision to move Lexington out of the top spot it’s held since the second week of the season because the Lady Tigers have dominated for most of the year until this week. Their record is still the best overall record in the area without much argument.

But Lexington was on a two-game losing streak there for a couple days, however, and one of the losses was to last week’s No. 2 team who’s now split its season series with Lexington and is on a 14-game win streak of its own.

So for now, South Side has returned to the top spot in the ranking, which is where the Lady Hawks started the season.

Here’s the entire list of this week’s Dirty Dozen.

1. South Side (19-4-1): The Lady Hawks are playing as well as anyone in the region right now with a double-digit win streak. Last week’s ranking: 2.

2. Lexington (32-2): The Lady Tigers had a two-game hiccup at the end of last week and early in this one, but injuries have affected the team. There are some big District 14-AA games looming though. Last week’s ranking: 1.

3. Chester Co. (15-6): The Lady Eagles will have a chance to either move up in the rankings or drop with a number of games in district play. Last week’s ranking: 3.

4. McNairy (16-5): The Lady Bobcats have traveled to Alabama for weekend tournaments twice this month and have done well. Last week’s ranking: 5.

5. Scotts Hill (21-4-1): The Lady Lions had one game this week, but it was an important one in District 15-A. They won it. Last week’s ranking: 4.

6. University School of Jackson (16-3): The Lady Bruins continue to do well in their Division II-A district based mainly in Memphis. Last week’s ranking: 6.

7. Greenfield (13-1): The Lady Yellowjackets have done well all season and split with District 14-A rival and annual state tournament contender South Fulton. Last week’s ranking: Not ranked.

8. Huntingdon (23-8): The Fillies slumped earlier in the season. They appear to have gotten out of that. Last week’s ranking: 8.

9. West Carroll (12-7-1): The Lady War Eagles hope to get back to their higher level of play earlier in the season before the District 13-A tournament arrives. Last week’s ranking: 7.

10. Camden (19-9): The Lady Lions have secured a top-three spot in District 11-AA and will test themselves with tough non-district games this week. Last week’s ranking: 10.

11. Riverside (15-5):

The Lady Panthers are still in contention to challenge Scotts Hill for the top seed in their district tournament. Last week’s ranking: 9.

12. McKenzie (13-7): The Lady Rebels are hanging around and challenging West Carroll and Huntingdon for superiority in 13-A. Last week’s ranking: 11.

Dropped out: Jackson Christian (12-9-1).

Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at jacksonsunsports.