PERKINSTON, Miss. — Rivalry night couldn't have gotten much sweeter for the No. 4 Pearl River baseball team Tuesday evening. In addition to picking up a sweep of Gulf Coast with a 13-3 game one victory and a 13-1 game two win, Pearl River tied the program record set in 2004 for consecutive wins with a staggering 27. The icing on the cake was that game two victory was head coach Michael Avalon's 400th of his career.
"It was a really special day," head coach Michael Avalon said. "To win 27 in a row and play as well as we did today is really special. We led from start to finish in both games. They were ready to play us, but our guys were ready to play them. This is a really special group. I have no idea how we will finish this year, but I know I am enjoying this ride we're on."
Avalon talked about joining the 400-win club.
"I'm really appreciative of those who brought me here. I believed in Pearl River," he said. "I knew this place was special, and we could do special things. I'm so thankful the good Lord opened the door for me and my family at Pearl River. Today, we talked a lot about coach (Brandon) Pennington, coach (Slater) Lott, and coach (Brandt) Jones and how special they are. This team and myself couldn't do what we've done without them."
GAME ONE
A small two-out rally in the first inning began an energetic offensive day for Pearl River (40-5 Overall; 20-0 MACCC). Hollis Porter (Hurley; East Central) walked before Jeff Ince (Brandon; Jackson Prep) promptly tripled, skating a ball past the first baseman and deep into right field. Ince came all the way home on a throwing error. The Wildcats ended the top of the first leading 2-0.
Gulf Coast (25-15; 11-9) answered back with a triple of its own, which also came around to score during the play. After back-to-back walks, Thomas Crabtree (Collierville, Tenn.) gathered himself, getting two big strikeouts on breaking balls.
The top of the second began abruptly as Caston Thompson (Jayess; Brookhaven Academy) took the inning's first pitch for a no-doubter deep into right field, over the wall, and into the trees. The Wildcats added two more runs in the top of the third, and Thompson was again responsible. He added two RBIs, scoring Porter and Ince, who reached on a walk and single, respectively.
Crabtree surrendered a solo home run between two strikeouts and a popout as the score sat 5-2 PRCC. The Wildcats padded the lead, singling the Bulldogs out of the game. By the sixth inning, the Wildcats led 12-2 with six singles in the sixth alone.
A.J. Hansen (Mobile, Ala.; McGill-Toolen) replaced Crabtree in the sixth. A run came across to score after a one-out double led to trouble. Hansen netted a strikeout and groundout to escape further problems.
Parker Ryan (Madison; Jackson Academy) added a pinch-hit solo blast over the right field wall to the party as the game closed 13-3.
Crabtree tossed five innings, striking out nine batters and giving up six hits. He allowed two runs and walked three Bulldogs while earning the win. Hansen and Konnor Graham (Hammond, La.) threw the other four innings, collectively striking out five while giving up five hits.
Thompson was 3-for-5 with a homer and double. He picked up five RBIs while scoring two runs. Ince also went 3-for-5 with a triple. He scored four runs, driving in one. Ryan was 1-for-1 with a homerun.
"Our hitters were really good today. They threw their best arms at us," Avalon said.
GAME TWO
The Wildcats took advantage of the Bulldogs starting pitcher to begin game two. Bryce Fowler (Madison; Germantown) promptly doubled to open the game. Four straight walks followed, scoring two runs. Alex Wade (Decatur, Ala.; Madison Academy) found space for an RBI infield single. Jonah Katsaboulas (Brandon) and Logan Terry (Semmes, Ala.; East Central) followed Wade with singles of their own, and just like that, the Wildcats led 6-0 in the top of the first.
Behind a stellar start from JP Robertson (Madison; Germantown), the Wildcats did not look back. JP Robertson began his outing with a strikeout before a lineout and groundout ended the first inning. The teams exchanged a run apiece, and things were held quietly for a few innings.
In the top of the fifth, Katsaboulas got ahold of one, sending it over the right field wall and extending the lead to seven runs, 8-1. The bottom of the fifth saw Conner Ware (Madison; Germantown) enter the game. Ware induced a flyout before striking out two, marking a 1-2-3 inning.
The Wildcats expanded their lead again in the sixth when Marshall Phillips (Hattiesburg; Sumrall) scored on a wild pitch. Katsaboulas also drove in two runs with a single through the middle. Before the inning closed, Porter singled home another, setting the score to 13-1.
Austin Tommasini (Madison; Madison Central) entered to pitch the seventh inning. He allowed the first batter to reach before getting a groundout, strikeout, and flyout to end the game.
JP Robertson started for the Wildcats, throwing four innings. He gave up one run on three hits while scattering three walks and striking out seven Bulldogs. Ware tossed two innings, striking out four. Tommasini threw the final inning, picking up one strikeout.
Katsaboulas was 3-for-4 with a home run. He was responsible for five RBIs and scored two runs. Wade went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. He scored two runs and walked once. Ince was 2-for-3 with two singles. He had an RBI and walked once, scoring twice.
"Katsaboulas played hard all night. The way he was working late in the game still when others maybe weren't," Avalon said. He worked hard all night, and that stood out to me."
UP NEXT
The Wildcats return to Dub Herring Park on Saturday for a two-game MACCC contest against Coahoma. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
TICKETS
Tickets are on sale now at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets. General admission tickets are $8 per game.
HOW TO WATCH
The Wildcats livestream all games for free at PRCCMedia.com/gold. Fans who have Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app stores.
Games can also be heard at WRJW 1320-AM, 106.9 FM and WRJWRadio.com.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).