SUMMIT, Miss. — The rain may have pushed the games back one day, but the No. 3 Pearl River baseball team's bats brought the thunder Wednesday afternoon, plating 24 runs across victories over Southwest and Mississippi Delta.
Pearl River has now scored 53 runs and allowed just five in its last four games.
"We used today as a tune-up for conference play this weekend," head coach Michael Avalon said. "I thought our focus was good. The hitters came out and took control of each game early. They put our pitchers in a good situation as far as being able to pitch ahead."
PRCC used eight pitchers across the doubleheader in an effort to get multiple players game action.
"Our pitching was pretty much scripted today," Avalon said. "We wanted to get several guys out there that didn't throw this past weekend to make sure they got some work in before this weekend. All of the arms threw well today."
PEARL RIVER 10, SOUTHWEST 3.
Although Pearl River (20-5) went quietly in the top of the first, the Wildcats came back with a vengeance in the top of the second. The first two hitters in the inning reached base on singles, and a run came into score when Alex Wade (Decatur, Ala.; Madison Academy) hit a ball that the Southwest (11-12) third baseman mishandled. Three batters later, Bryce Fowler (Madison; Germantown) stepped into the batter's box and ripped a two-run single into center field, 3-0.
PRCC didn't add more runs until the fifth inning but made sure to make the opportunity count. Creek Robertson (Oxford; Madison Central) doubled home the first run of the frame and eventually scored on an error off the bat of Jeff Ince (Brandon; Jackson Prep). Marshall Phillips followed by ripping an RBI single into left field, 6-0. Jonah Katsaboulas (Brandon) was patient in his plate appearance, drawing a bases-loaded walk for an RBI. Trent Wright (Birmingham, Ala.; Mountain Brook) finally capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly hit into center field.
Katsaboulas made it 10 runs on the day for the Wildcats in the top of the seventh inning, smacking an RBI double into center field. An error helped the Bears break the shutout in the bottom half of the inning, but PRCC eventually closed the game to win 10-3.
Caleb Dyess (Carriere; Pearl River Central) earned the win, going three innings and allowing just two hits. Eli Waters (Petal) followed behind him, throwing three scoreless innings and striking out three. Blake Gollott (Saucier; D'Iberville) had the ball in the final inning of the contest, giving up three unearned runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out one.
Phillips was the only Wildcat with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Katsaboulas went 1-for-3 and drove in three runs,
PEARL RIVER 14, MISSISSIPPI DELTA 0.
Fowler got the Wildcats started in the best way possible in their second game of the day. The smooth swing of the left-handed hitter connected with the second ball thrown to him and sent it flying over the right field wall for a leadoff home run, 1-0.
Starter Thomas Crabtree (Collierville, Tenn.) didn't need much time to settle in on the mound as he induced three quick ground balls to send the Wildcat bats back to the plate.
The Trojan (6-7) pitcher allowed two of the first three batters he faced to reach base via a walk and a hit by a pitch, and Parker Ryan (Madison; Jackson Academy) made him pay, ripping a ball down the right field line for a two-run double. Creek Robertson added the next big hit of the inning with an RBI double of his own, 4-0.
The Wildcats did some serious damage in the top of the third inning. The first two batters of the inning reached base and eventually scored on a double off the bat of Caston Thompson (Jayess; Brookhaven Academy), 6-0. A Wade single placed runners on the corners, and Ryan added another RBI with a single. Ryan scored shortly after, thanks to an RBI double by Fowler, 9-0. Hollis Porter (Hurley; East Central) ensured that the inning wasn't going to end there. He swung through the first two pitches thrown to him before fouling off the next two. The slugger found his timing on the next pitch, hitting a ball rumored to have traveled higher than the lights at the Bear's stadium and sailed deep over the fence. The three-run blast was Porter's 10th of the young season and moved PRCC in front 12-0.
The fireworks didn't stop there for the Wildcats, who added two more runs in the top of the fifth. JP Robertson (Madison; Germantown) was called upon to pinch hit to lead off the inning and jumped on the second pitch thrown to him for the first home run of his Pearl River career, 13-0. PRCC promptly loaded the bases before Ashton Schepens (Long Beach) picked up an RBI by getting plunked, 14-0.
PRCC retired the side without any damage in the bottom of the fifth to secure a run-rule victory.
Crabtree earned the victory, allowing just one hit in his three innings of work. He picked up three strikeouts. Austin Tommasini (Madison; Madison Central) got two outs, both of which were strikeouts. Cameron Fennell (Long Beach) recorded the next out, working around two walks. Carson Fair (Southaven) punched out two of the four batters he faced, and AJ Hansen (Mobile, Ala.; McGill-Toolen) picked up the final out of the day.
Fowler, Porter, Ince and Ryan all picked up two hits in the game. Ryan led the way with four RBIs, and Porter trailed narrowly with three.
NEXT UP
Pearl River opens MACCC play on Saturday as the Wildcats travel to Booneville to take on Northeast. The games will get underway at 2 p.m. and will be livestreamed at NEMCCTV.com.
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