SOSO — Pearl River Central picked the wrong time of the year to lose two straight games for the first time this season.

Homestanding West Jones pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning to take a lead it would never relinquish, en route to a 2-0 win over the Blue Devils Monday afternoon in game two of the Class 5A South State semifinal series.

The win, coupled with a 7-3 victory by the Mustangs in game one, clinches the best of three series for West Jones. The Mustangs, now 22-9, will move on the Class 5A South state finals later this week.

Pearl River Central, which was trying to get to the South State finals for the first time in school history, finishes the season at 23-8.

The Mustangs added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the win.

Dylan Spiers took the loss for the Blue Devils, while Garrett Goodwin picked up the win for the Mustangs. Goodwin scattered just three hits in the complete game performance. Spiers ends the season at 6-3, while Goodwin moves to 7-3 with the win.

The Mustangs handed PRC’s Chance Putnam (7-1) his first loss of the season in the win in game one.

West Jones will face the winner of the East Central-Pascagoula series in the Class 5A South State finals, which is slated to begin on Thursday.

East Central led the series 1-0 after taking a 4-0 win in game one on Saturday. Konnor Pilkington pitched a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts and also drove in a pair of runs as the Hornets beat the Panthers.

Game two of that series was set for Monday night. A third game if needed will take place tonight.