By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

LONG BEACH — Picayune is on the verge of winning its first league baseball championship in six seasons.

The Maroon Tide, in a battle of unbeatens in Division 8-4A play, knocked off homestanding Long Beach 3-1 in eight innings Tuesday night at mike Rutledge Field.

The win not only is Picayune’s 12th straight, but puts head coach Cayne Stockstill’s crew at 9-0 in league play and alone in first place atop the division standings.

The Maroon Tide can clinch the division championship with a win over the Bearcats Friday at home.

Picayune is 13-1 overall while LBHS dropped to 8-1 in the league and 12-5 overall.

“There’s something about this team, we just figure out a way to win,” Stockstill said. “We still haven’t played our best yet though. We still have work to do.”

Picayune ace Bryce Ladner remained unbeaten on the season as well, going the distance and hurling a 1-hitter in the process to move to 6-0.

The Tide took a brief 1-0 lead in the second, when Hunter Gill singled and later scored on an RBI-single by Evan Nichelson.

The Bearcats tied the game and 1-1 in the third, and it stayed that way until the eighth frame when the Tide scored a pair of runs on a run scoring double by Jared Bales and an RBI-single from Gill to pull out the win.

Poplarville-PRC

In other local baseball action, Poplarville’s game with Pearl River Central was rained out Tuesday night and the two teams are set to meet tonight at 7 in Carriere.

Also, PRC will now travel to Bay High Thursday before heading to Poplarville on Friday.

Picayune softball

BAY ST. LOUIS — Pic-ayune’s Lady Tide came up with a big Division 8-4 win Tuesday night, blanking homestanding Bay High 2-0.

The Lady Tide moved to 9-13 overall and 2-7 in league play with the win, and will close out the season hosting Pearl River Central on Thursday.

Picayune’s Jessie Frierson twirled a one-hitter for the win. The Lady Tide scored both runs in the fourth, as Taylor Seals singled an scored on Hillary Dickens RBI-triple and then Tiffany Reed brought Dickens home with a run scoring single and Frierson made the lead stand up.

Despite the loss, Bay High qualified for the fourth and final playoff spot in Division 8-4A.

PRC Softball

Pearl River Central fell to Bay High 8-1 on Monday night in Division 8-4A action.

The Lady Devils will now play three games over the next two days, hosting D’Iberville today at 5 and then taking on Long Beach at 7 before traveling to Picayune Thursday night.

Poplarville softball

Poplarville’s game with D’Iberville was rained out Tuesday night. The Lady Hornets will now travel to Bay High Thursday before hosting D’Iberville Friday. The state playoffs are set to begin on Saturday.

In another big league game Long Beach and D’Iberville are set to meet Thursday.

PRCC softball

POPLARVILLE — Pearl River Community College’s Tuesday MACJC South Division softball doubleheader against Hinds has been postponed until Wednesday due to wet field conditions.

The twin bill will kickoff at 5 p.m. Wednesday in Lady Wildcat Stadium.

In addition, last Saturday’s postponement of the Lady Wildcats’ doubleheader against division rival Jones County has been rescheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday in Poplarville.

PRCC baseball

Pearl River Community College’s Wildcats return to MACJC South Division action Wednesday when East Central plays host for a 2 p.m. doubleheader in Decatur, then division foe Hinds hosts Saturday, April 4, in Raymond (1 p.m. doubleheader).