MOBILE, Ala. — No. 3 Pearl River fell 3-2 in a frustrating opener at Spring Hill's junior varsity squad Wednesday but rebounded to toss a 9-0 shutout in Game 2 to split with the Badgers.

"Hopefully we'll learn from Game 1," Pearl River coach Michael Avalon said. "I don't think our intensity was very good early. We have to continue to make adjustments offensively. The most important thing about today is hopefully we'll learn from it, correct some things and get ready for conference." 

GAME 1: Spring Hill JV 3, Pearl River 2
Pearl River never led in the series opener.

Spring Hill jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first.

PRCC tied the game in the third when Taylor Woodcock (Pass Christian; West Harrison) scored on a passed ball.

The Badgers jumped ahead 3-1 in the sixth. 

Pearl River looked to retaliate in the seventh, but after Nick Skaggs (Biloxi) scored on a passed ball the Wildcats were doubled up to end the threat.

Michael Wein (Alpharetta, Ga.; King's Ridge Christian) led PRCC with two hits. Both Wein and Woodcock hit doubles in the game.

Landon Harper (Lauderdale; Northeast Lauderdale) made his first career start, allowing one run in two innings on one hit and one walk.

Reid Reynolds (Heidelberg; Northeast Jones) tossed three scoreless innings, striking out three.

Trace McNabb (Foxworth; West Marion) tossed the final frame, allowing two runs (one earned) on a hit and hit batter. He also struck out a Badger. 

GAME 2: Pearl River 9, Spring Hill JV 0
The Wildcats wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in Game 2, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first after scoring one run on a Wein sacrifice fly and plating two more on a Badgers error.

A Bryson Ware (Gluckstadt; Germantown) RBI double and sacrifice fly from Wein in the second extended PRCC's lead to 5-0.

The Wildcats tacked on two more runs in the fourth when Dalton Cummins (Seminary) was plunked with the bases loaded and then Eric Newsom (Madison; Germanton) hit a deep fly ball to score PRCC's seventh run.

Kasey Donaldson (Gulfport; West Harrison) capped the day's scoring with a two-run homer.

Skaggs led all PRCC batters with three hits, while Donaldson and Wein drove in two runs apiece. Graham Crawford (Sumrall) walked twice.

Pearl River took a no hitter into the sixth and was happy to settle for a shutout of the Badgers.

Cade Hodges (Brookhaven; Loyd Star) earned the win after tossing three scoreless innings while striking out four.

Landon Gartman (Bogue Chitto; Enterprise), Shelby Terrell (Foxworth; West Marion), Dalton Baxley (Enterprise), and Evan Bynum (Soso; West Jones) each pitched an inning in relief.

Gartman and Terrell struckout two Badgers apiece, Baxley registered one strikeout and one hit, while Bynum whiffed three batters against one hit.

"I thought throughout the day the pitchers through well," Avalon said. "They attacked the hitters and threw strikes." 

SEASON DEBUT
Freshman first baseman Von Siebert (Mobile, Ala.; Daphne) made his highly anticipated season debut for the Wildcats on Wednesday after battling back from injury. The 6-foot-4 first baseman DH'd in the opener and played first in Game 2.

He recorded his first hit, a double, was hit twice and also worked a walk for a .444 on-base percentage on the day.

"We wanted to ix in a lot of guys today," Avalon said. "Von was one of those we wanted to get plenty of ABs.

"It was good to see him get his first hit. Hopefully that will get him going."

NEXT UP
The Wildcats continue their road trip Saturday with their MACJC opener at Northeast. The doubleheader against NEMCC will start at 1 p.m. The series will be carried on WRJWRadio.com. The games will also be streamed at NEMCCTV.com. 

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