POPLARVILLE, Miss. — There were no pranks, jokes or tricks fooling No. 2 Pearl River on April Fools' Day as the Wildcats went on the road and swept Meridian.
PRCC had to battle for a 6-4 win in the opener but used a 10-run frame and a masterful five-inning no-hitter from KK Clark (Brandon) to run-rule the Eagles 14-0 in game two.
"That's a really good team, and this is a tough place to play. I knew the challenge ahead of us coming in," head coach Michael Avalon said. "We played well and were tough. I was proud of my group tonight.
"I thought our pitching staff did a phenomenal job. They really complimented each other well today."
GAME ONE
The table-setter, Keegan Giger (Petal), put Pearl River (31-5 overall; 11-1 MACCC) ahead right from the jump. The sophomore went the opposite day with the first pitch of the day from Meridian (21-15; 8-6) and sent it flying over the wall in left field for a leadoff solo home run, 1-0. The Eagles matched the run in their half of the inning, scoring on a fielder's choice, 1-1.
Starting pitcher Camden Clark (Laurel; West Jones) retired the next seven batters that stepped to the plate to get PRCC back into the batter's box in the fourth. A pair of freshmen got the job done for the Wildcats in the inning as Tyrese Johnson (West Point) and Kyler King (Picayune) hit back-to-back RBI singles to give PRCC a 3-1 lead.
Meridian broke through for another run in the fifth, cutting PRCC's lead to one at 3-2. PRCC responded perfectly in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded, Caston Thompson (Jayess; Brookhaven Academy) smacked a ball into right field for a two-run single, 5-2. A few pitches later, Thompson tried to draw a throw to second to allow his teammate Jacob Keys (Brandon) a chance to swipe home. The throw to second sailed on the catcher and went into center field for Keys to score, 6-2.
Reliever Max Miller (Vancleave) was solid in the sixth and seventh innings, but Meridian struck on a two-run home run in the eighth to pull within two, 6-4. PRCC turned to its closer, Carson Fair (Southaven), with two outs in the eighth. The right-handed flame thrower struck out a batter to end the threat and then needed just nine pitches to close out the game in the ninth, securing a 6-4 victory.
Clark threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits. One of his runs was unearned. He struck out five Eagles. Miller earned the win with 3 1/3 innings of two-run baseball. He allowed four hits and one walk, striking out three. Fair earned his seventh save of the season — one away from tying the single-season program record. He threw 1 1/3 innings of hitless baseball, punching out two.
Topher Jones (Hernando) was PRCC's only hitter with multiple hits. He was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Thompson drove in two runs, while Giger, Johnson and King drove in one.
GAME TWO
The Wildcats took on the Meridian ace in the second game and started the ballgame by scoring three first-inning runs. Giger led off the game with a double, and PRCC promptly loaded the bases. MCC's pitcher was a strike away from getting out of the jam but threw three straight balls to Jones for a bases-loaded walk. The next two Wildcat batters were Ethan Garner (Gulfport) and Kyler King (Picayune), who each earned RBIs the hard way, getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, 3-0.
With a good early lead, KK Clark mowed Meridian hitters down left and right, throwing three quick hitless innings and allowing just two baserunners. The Wildcat offense awarded Clark with another insurance run in the fourth. Giger drove a double into the left-center field gap and then scored on Thompson's double into right-center field, 4-0.
KK Clark struck out the first two batters of the fourth before walking a batter. He shook it off quickly and punched out the next to send PRCC to the plate in the fifth.
The fifth inning was one of PRCC's most impressive innings of the year, as 16 batters went to the plate and 10 runs scored. A King hit-by-pitch scored the first before a two-run error scored the next two, 7-0. The Meridian pitcher balked in a run, then Giger hit an RBI double, 9-0. Pearl River loaded the bases back up, and Jaxon Milam (Phenix City, Ala.; Glenwood Academy) sent a two-run single into center field, 11-0. A ball hit along the ground to the first baseman by Garner was mishandled and gave PRCC its 12th run. King grabbed his second RBI of the inning with a single, and Hank Eaton (Corinth; Kossuth) sent a ball up the middle that the second baseman dove for and couldn't complete the play for the final RBI single, 14-0.
KK Clark was a man on the mission in the fifth, going out to try to finish off his no-hitter. The right-handed Mississippi State transfer struck out the first two Eagles of the inning looking and induced a fly ball to right field to close out the impressive feat and secure a sweep for the Wildcats.
"There was just a different look in his eye all day," Avalon said. "He went out and attacked."
Giger was 3-for-4 with an RBI, three doubles and three runs scored from the leadoff position. Milam had a two-hit day and added two runs and two RBIs. King tallied three RBIs in the contest.
KK Clark threw five hitless innings, allowing just three baserunners. He hit two batters and walked another. He punched out six.
NEXT UP
Pearl River heads to Biloxi Wednesday evening for an exhibition against the Biloxi Shuckers. The 6:35 p.m. contest will serve as a tune-up for the Milwaukee Brewers affiliate ahead of the start of their season. Tickets for the exhibition are available now through Ticketmaster and the Shuckers Box Office (145 Caillavet Street; Biloxi, Miss. 39533). All tickets are general admission and are available for $14.
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