Mother Nature
Published 7:01 am Saturday, May 10, 2014
The opening game of the Class 5A South State semifinal series pitting Pearl River Central against West Jones was postponed Friday night due to rainy conditions.
Game one of the best-of-three series is tentatively set for tonight at 7 at the PRC Sports Complex. However, rain is again in the forecast.
“We just moved everything back a day and we’ll go from there,” Blue Devils head coach Neil Walther said. “If it rains us out again Saturday, I’m not sure what we will do.”
The new format is set for game one tonight in Carriere, with game two Monday night at 7 in Soso and a third and deciding game if needed Tuesday back at PRC.
However, if rain again today causes another delay, the series would more than likely move to a Monday-Wednesday format.
All games, at this point, are expected to begin at 7.
The Class 5A South State finals is set to begin on Thursday. The winner of the PRC-West K=Jones series will face the survivor of the battle in Jackson County between East Central and Pascagoula for the right to play in the Class 5A state finals against the North State champ.
Game one between the Panthers and Hornets, also set for Friday night, was still on as off press time.
“You just kind of hope that weather effects both series and not just one so the pitching situation stays the same,” Walther added.
Pascagoula has been to Jackson two straight years, beating Hernando for the 5A title in 2012 and dropping a three-game series to New Hope last season. The Panthers have five state championship: 1967, 1968, 1983, 1996 and 2012.
Pascagoula defeated Pearl River Central in the South State semifinals two years ago en route to winning the state crown.
East Central last won the South State championship as a 4A school in 2009, when they lost to West Lauderdale in the title series. The Hornets won the 4A championship in 2008 and also took home the A trophy in 1981.
Game two for the Pascagoula-East Central series is set for 2 p.m. today at Pascagoula’s Ingalls Field.
Game three, if necessary, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at East Central.