Visiting Pearl River Central earned a bit of revenge against arch-rival Picayune Monday night.

The Blue Devils knocked off the Maroon Tide 5-1, after Picayune handed PRC its only loss of the season so far on Friday night. The Blue Devils are 5-1, and Picayune is now 3-2. The Maroon Tide beat the Blue Devils 5-2 previously.

Senior southpaw Chance Putnam went the distance in picking up the win, striking out eight and walking none while allowing just four hits.

“Chance threw the ball well, and we played well behind him for the most part,” PRC head coach Neil Walther said. “Our pitching has been a key for us so far this season.”

Pearl River Central wasted no time in taking a lead it would never relinquish, as Christian Smith led the game off by drawing a walk from Picayune starter Dylan Breaux. Jeshua Lee moved him up with a single, and then two batters later Dylan Spiers drove Smith home with an infield single.

The Blue Devils added to their lead in the third frame, when Christian Travis singled to lead off the inning and stole second before scoring a batter later on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.

The wheels came off for Picayune in the fourth, when PRC tallied three runs to take a commanding 5-0 lead.

Smith registered a run-scoring double, while Travis collected an RBI-walk. Spiers then drove in a run with an RBI-single to put PRC in control.

Meanwhile, Putnam was cruising, allowing just one hit and striking out six through the first four innings.

Picayune finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth, when Brady Warden led off with a double and later scored on an RBI-single by Dalton Hedgepeth. Kyle Dillard and Devin Hedgepeth each singled with one out in the seventh stanza for Picayune, but Putnam settled down and closed the door on the Maroon Tide for the win.

Breaux took the loss, but Mark Wood turned in some impressive relief work over the final three frames.

PRC returns to action Thursday at Stone County, while Picayune is off until Saturday when the Maroon Tide hosts Hancock.

The pair of meetings over the past four days were the only ones scheduled between the Maroon Tide and the Blue Devils this season. Due to be in different districts this year, if the arch-rivals meet again it would be in the Class 5A South State playoffs.