PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Opening day was sweet for the No. 5 Pearl River baseball team Friday afternoon as the Wildcats opened Perfect Game's Visit Panama City Beach College Baseball Classic with a 6-4 victory over NJCAA Division I's National Runner-up from a season ago.

"Northwest Florida is perennially one of the best teams in the country, so this is a big win for our ball club," head coach Michael Avalon said. "I'm proud of our energy and how we got after it. That's a tough first day at the office, but it's a really good win for us against a really good team."

Mississippi State transfer KK Clark (Brandon) drew the first start of the year on the mound for Pearl River (1-0 overall) against Northwest Florida State (2-2) and went right to work. The right-hander mixed his pitches well on the way to retiring the first six batters he faced, three by strikeout.

The Wildcats put up a crooked number in the third inning, sending seven players to the plate. Tyrese Johnson (West Point) started things by lacing a single into left field, and Hank Eaton (Corinth; Kossuth) was plunked two pitches later to put two aboard. Kyler King (Picayune) loaded the bases with a hard-hit single into left field to bring up South Alabama transfer Jaxon Milam (Phenix City, Ala.; Glenwood Academy. The left-handed hitting shortstop ripped the third pitch of his at-bat into right field for a two-run single, advancing King to third in the process. The next Wildcat at-bat resulted in a dropped third strike, and King took advantage of the throw to first base by dashing from third for a run, 3-0.

An RBI groundout by Northwest Florida State ended the shutout, getting the Raiders within two, 3-1. PRCC responded with a run of its own in the top of the fourth. Jackson Hood (Madison; Germantown) drew a walk to open the frame and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Eaton then stepped to the dish and sent a ground-rule RBI double into the left centerfield gap, 4-1.

The Wildcats aided Clark tremendously on the defensive side of the ball in the bottom of the fourth. The inning's first batter chopped a ball toward shortstop, forcing Milam to round the baseball for a better throwing angle. His throw was low, but first baseman and Nicholls State signee Caston Thompson (Jayess; Brookhaven Academy) stretched and picked it successfully to get the runner. Thompson fielded the next ground ball and took it to the bag himself for the out. A two-out single by the Raiders was erased by Southern Miss transfer Jacob Keys (Brandon) as the catcher threw behind the runner at first base to catch him too far off the bag.

Pearl River received its first long ball of the year in the fifth inning, and Thompson's sweet swing got it done. The team captain stepped to the plate and ripped the first pitch that he saw over the wall in center field for a two-run homer, 6-1.

The Raiders got runs back in the fifth and sixth innings to make things interesting going into the final frame of the night. Nothing happened for the Wildcats in the top of the seventh, and Pearl River brought in closer Carson Fair (Southaven) to finish off the seventh. The rain started to pour as Fair stepped on the mound, but it didn't phase the Memphis signee. Although he walked a batter, he picked up two huge punchouts and got the final batter of the game to line out to first base to secure the 6-4 victory.

LEADING THE WAY
Clark earned the win, throwing four innings of one-run baseball. He allowed three hits and punched out four Raiders.

"I felt really good today," Clark said. "I wanted to establish my pitches in the zone early and keep them on their toes."

Peyton Lacy (Pass Christian) tossed the next two innings, allowing three runs on five hits. Fair earned the save, punching out two in his lone inning of work.

"That was a tough situation for a pitcher. The rain was coming down, and the pressure built up with the walk. He made some big-time pitches. That shows how tough he is."

Eight of PRCC's nine batters collected a hit in the contest. Milam was the lone Wildcat to have two hits on the day, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs. He also swiped a base.

"We needed someone to bust that pressure," Avalon said. "Milam was that guy today. That was a big hit for him."

Thompson finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a homer. Eaton had PRCC's only other extra-base hit with an RBI double.

NEXT UP
The Wildcats are right back at it tomorrow at 11 a.m. against No. 12 Chipola College and at 3:30 p.m. against No. 24 John A. Logan.

The games can be heard at WRJW 1320-AM, 106.9 FM and WRJWRadio.com.

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