High scoring affair leans in Tigers’ favor over Picayune, 11-8
Published 7:00 am Tuesday, April 11, 2017
wo Picayune players let a pop fly fall in between them due to a failure to communicate, resulting in a Hattiesburg batter to reach first base. Photo by Taylor Welsh.
Tyler Penton hurls the ball from the outfield to stop a Hattiesburg runner from reaching home. Photo by Taylor Welsh.
Tigers' A.J. Stinson gave up three hits and six runs while connecting on eight strikeouts in his four innings pitched. Photo by Taylor Welsh.
Hattiesburg attempts to get a Tide base runner out at first base during Friday's action. Photo by Taylor Welsh.
Trenton Lee celebrates extending the first inning with a single on Friday. Photo by Taylor Welsh.
Picayune fails to catch a Tigers' base runner off guard. Photo by Taylor Welsh.
Tigers' Dexter Jordan celebrates as he and two of his teammates cross home plate after Caleb Tart his a double. Photo by Taylor Welsh.
Dylan Ramsay pitched four strikeouts during his two innings on the mound Friday night. Photo by Taylor Welsh.
PICAYUNE — Hattiesburg pounded 10 hits for 11 runs against Picayune to close an 11-8 district victory Friday night. The Maroon Tide (8-11, 3-5) came ready to play in the opening stages, but let the game briefly slip away after giving up a bundle of hits, allowing Hattiesburg (15-7, 6-2) to pull away when Caleb Tart bashed the ball into the outfield with the bases loaded. That play brought in two runs to give his team a 5-3 lead. Immediately after that, Joseph Gray, who previously knocked a home run over the left outfield wall at Kent Kirkland Field, stepped up to the plate and brought home two more runners, stretching the Tigers’ lead to 7-3.
However, the Tide showed grit after being thumped in the third inning, rallying around Shaun Anderson as he hit the first of three RBIs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
After Anderson, Trenton Lee hit a sacrifice fly into right field to notch another run. Jacob Brumley faced the same fate, and gave Anderson enough time to find home plate to bring the Tide within one run of the Tigers, 7-6.
Hattiesburg’s streak continued from the first inning to the last, notching three more runs to put the game out of the Tide’s reach at 11-6 after Hattiesburg’s Jaden Richardson hit an RBI single. A.J. Stinson followed by hitting the final two RBIs in the game for the Tigers.
Picayune began a late comeback, but scratched two early outs that were hard to overcome in the bottom of the seventh inning, resulting in an 11-8 loss.
Kade Turnage put together a decent night for the Tide, knocking two hits for two RBIs against the Tigers. Anderson, Lee and Tyler Penton also had two hits each for the Tide.
Destin Holliman led the Tigers with three hits, two singles and a triple. Tart and Gray each had a double while Richardson had two singles and Stinson, Noah Thornton, Dexter Jordan had one single.
Over the weekend, Picayune mounted 28 runs while conceding only eight to Pass Christian in a doubleheader, winning 13-3 and 15-5 at home. In the last three games, the Tide has averaged 12 runs per game, which is the team’s best stretch this season.
Picayune will be on the road against Pearl River Central on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Blue Devils end road tour with two wins
Pearl River Central’s six away game stretch ended on a good note as the Blue Devils defeated Stone County 12-2 Friday before finishing off Forrest County Agricultural 10-2 Saturday.
After trailing by a run against the Tomcats, PRC surged ahead, scoring at least two runs in each of the final five innings to outlast Stone 12-2. Eli Lee and Tristan Schlottmann both led the Blue Devils with three hits and two RBIs. Senior Conner Holston swung for two hits and three RBIs and Zach Roussell finished with two hits and a solo RBI. PRC’s Cade Lee, Hayden Dunhurst and Caleb Tynes each tallied a hit.
Hayden Lebeau captained the mound, throwing for nine strikeouts in four innings.
The next day, PRC continued its hot hitting streak with a four-run sixth inning that put the score out of Forrest County Agricultural’s reach. The game ended with a score of 10-2.
Blue Devils Roussell led the charge with three hits and two RBIs.
PRC will face Picayune on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Lady Tide’s late surge overpowers East Central 5-2
After holding a score of 1-0 during the first three innings, Picayune turned on the afterburners in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring three unanswered runs and then two more in the subsequent inning to overcome East Central 5-2. Madison Dudenhefer threw a complete game with five strikeouts and no walks. Elizabeth Taggard, Marissa McDonald, Madyson Turnage, Alyssa Pinero, Sarah Walker, De’Andrea Cunningham and Dudenhefer each tallied a hit for the Lady Tide.
Taggard and McDonald each marked an RBI.
Picayune will travel to PRC on Tuesday to play the rival Lady Devils at 7 p.m.
Lady Devils lose 3-2 on the Lady Irish Field
A slow start to Saturday’s game against St. Patrick ended with the Blue Devils attempting to rally back into the game in the sixth inning. However, the Lady Irish defense stood its ground, beating PRC by a single run, 3-2.
PRC will host Picayune in another district bout on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Poplarville’s jumpstart ousts Stone County 13-8
The Hornets got rolling in the early stages of Saturday’s non-district bout against Stone County, tallying nine runs in the first three innings.
Sophomore Canaan Ray led Poplarville with four hits and two RBIs, batting .800 against the Tomcats. Teammate Joey Smith also had two RBIs with two hits. All but two batters made a hit on Saturday, including Camden Ray, Kyle Tynes, Blaise Breerwood, Brandon Bullock, Peyton Graham and Tyson Holston.
Poplarville will travel to take on Forrest County Agricultural on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
