Devils win, Tide falls
Published 6:17 pm Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Pearl River Central and Picayune saw differing results in district action early in the week.
On Monday night, homestanding Pearl River Central beat Gautier 12-0 in a game called after the top of the fifth due to the 10 run rule.
Chance Putnam (2-1) took the win for the Blue Devils, who moved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in league play. The Gators are 0-4 overall and 0-2.
The Blue Devils scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth to break open the game.
“Nothing against Gautier, but we needed to be 2-0 after these two games with them,” PRC head coach Neil Walther said. “Our schedule gets tougher from here on out.”
The top four batters in the PRC line-up combined to reach base 15 times and collect eight hits. Christian Smith had two singles and was hit by a pitch twice, while both Dylan Spiers and Christian Travis each had three hits apiece. Spiers drove in four runs and Travis had a pair of RBI’s. Clean-up hitter Lane Fazende drew four walks in four trips.
Putnam scattered three hits in the win, and struck out six. He also added a two run double to the winning effort. Spiers had a two run single as well as an RBI-single.
The Blue Devils travel to East Central on Friday.
Pascagoula pitcher Andrew Crane helped the Panthers get back on the winning track Tuesday night.
The Panther hurler tossed a four-hit shutout, as Pascagoula beat homestanding Picayune 3-0 in district play.
Picayune had stopped Pascagoula 2-1 Thursday to open league action. and then the Panthers dropped three games over the weekend in the Mid-south Classic.
“We hadn’t gotten off to a very good start,” Panther head coach Richie Tillman said. “But the kids have been working hard and I think we’ll keep getting better. This was a big win for us.”
The Panthers broke open a scoreless game in the third, when Carlos Lott reached on an error and later scored on Slater McCarty’s RBI-single. McCarty touched the plate two batters later when the Maroon Tide rightfielder dropped a ball off the bat of Panther hitter Justin Stanford.
Picayune seemed as if it might cut into the lead in the bottom of the frame, when Nick Marble doubled to lead off the inning. But A hard shot back to Crane by Jacob Taylor resulted in Marble getting picked off in a rundown and Taylor was then promptly nailed at second trying to advance as well.
Pascagoula then extended its lead two pitches into the top of the fourth, when Jacob Stanford smacked a solo home run over the left field wall to make it 3-0.
Crane held Picayune in check most of the rest of the way, as he struck out six and walked just two in the complete game effort.
Peyton Lee took the loss for Picayune. He also went the distance, and struck out six.
Picayune fell to 1-5 overall, and 1-1 in league play. Taylor had a pair of hits for the Maroon Tide.
The Panthers are 2-5 overall and 1-1 as well in league play. Pascagoula hosts west Harrison Friday, while Picayune travels to Gautier on the same night.