By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

Picayune’s Maroon Tide can clinch the first district baseball title for the school since 2003 with a win at home tonight against Long Beach.

The Maroon Tide puts its 12 game win streak on the line as well as its perfect 9-0 mark in Division 8-4A play against the Bearcats, whom Picayune beat 3-1 on Tuesday night.

The Maroon Tide is expected to send Jared Bales to the mound tonight. Picayune is ranked 11th in the state and stands 13-1 on the year.

Poplarville softball

POPLARVILLE — D’Ib-erville beat Poplarville 4-0 Thursday night in Division 8-4A fast-pitch softball action in a battle of the top two ranked teams in the state.

The loss was the second straight for the second ranked Lady Hornets, who drop to 20-3 overall and 6-3 in league play. The Lady Warriors, ranked first in the state, will face fifth ranked Long Beach for the division championship tonight.

The loss means Poplarville gets the third seed in the league and will start the Class 4A South State playoffs on the road at Brookhaven on Saturday.

“The wheels have kind of come off for us this week,” Poplarville head coach Jonathan Ray said. “We have to find a way to get things back together before the playoffs start.”

Poplarville will finish its regular season tonight at Bay High.

PRC baseball

Pearl River Central’s game against Bay High slated for Thursday night was rained out and rescheduled for Wednesday night at 7.

The Blue Devils will travel to Poplarville tonight in Division 8-4A play.

PMHS-PRC softball

Picayune and Pearl River Central’s softball game slated for Thursday night was rained out, and the game will not be made up meaning the season is over for both the Lady Tide and the Lady Devils.