Thursday, May 30, 2002
PRCC's record-setting baseball season ends with 13-3 loss to Iowa Central at World Series
Wildcats wrap up historical year at 42-13 and a No. 5 finish in annual NJCAA event held in Millington, Tenn.

     MILLINGTON, TENN.   Pearl River Community College ended its record-setting 
2002 baseball season here Monday with a heart-breaking 13-3 loss to Iowa Central in the NJCAA Division II World Series in USA Stadium.
     The Wildcats finished the year at 42-13   their best record in history   while
winning their first-ever Region XIII and Central District "Super Regionals"
championships to reach the coveted World Series.
     PRCC quickly fell into the losers bracket when it opened play in the double-
elimination event with a hard-fought 3-2 loss Northern Oklahoma-Enid on Saturday,
but bounced back with an impressive 9-1 victory on Sunday to eliminate Brookdale (N.J.).
     First-year Wildcat head coach Jay Artigues' disappointment was evident
following the ICCC loss that ended his team's season, but he also reflected on the
Wildcats' accomplishments this past season.
     "It's a tough way to end a season, but we accomplished a lot this year and I'm
very proud of our guys," Artigues said. "Our goal from the outset of the season was to
win the Regionals, the Super Regionals, and get to the World Series.
     "We accomplished that goal, but the chips didn't fall like we'd hoped. You've got
to play consistently when a national championship is on the line. We didn't do that
out there tonight."
     Iowa Central went up 2-0 in the bottom of the second when Ron Bethke doubled
off Wildcat starter Jeff Middleton of Mobile, then scored off Andy Kyle's two-out triple.
Kyle scored off Dan Stuart's single.
     Things came unglued for Pearl River in the bottom of the third, as the Tritons
bashed the Wildcats for six runs. Joe Anthonsen led off with a walk, then ICCC
pitcher Justin Meyer singled to set the stage for Pete Wiedewitsch's RBI-double. Heath Woods sacrificed Meyer's pinch runner, Brad Thomas, home to make it 4-0.
     Middleton exited the game for reliever Josh O'Flynn of Petal after walking Bethke
and giving up a single to Jared Johnson. O'Flynn hit the first batter he faced to load
the bases, then Stuart followed with an inside-the-park grand slam home run to balloon the Tritons' advantage to 8-0. O'Flynn, who faced only seven batters in the game, struck out Johnny Lukehart for the third out.
     PRCC managed only a one-out single by Eric Adkins of Purvis in the top of the
fourth, but ICCC rallied for five more runs in the bottom of the frame and eventually
won via the 10-run rule.
     In the bottom of the fourth, Anthonsen doubled, then a one-out error by the
Wildcats set the stage for Woods' RBI single. Rhett Shafette relieved O'Flynn at that
point and the Picayune lefthander walked Bethke to load the bases. Johnson followed
with a three-run double to make it 12-0.
     LSU signee Collin Smith of Baton Rouge relieved Shafette and immediately gave
up an RBI-double to Kyle for the Tritons last run of the game.
     Pearl River fought back with three runs in the top of the fifth when Josh Parker of
Picayune led off with a walk, then Jason Santiago of St. Stanislaus singled. Justin Laxon of Clinton walked to load the bases, setting the stage for an RBI-single by Jake Smith of Picayune High for the Wildcats' first run. An RBI-single by Justin Gros of Oak Grove and a Triton error resulted in PRCC's final two runs.
     "It's just one of those things that happen in baseball," Artigues said. "You can't
put your finger on what went wrong or place the blame on any one player or players. We just weren't ready to play mentally.
     "But we had an outstanding season and Pearl River fans should be proud. It was
a historical year and I'm proud to have been a part of it."
     Meyer (7-2) was the winning pitcher in going the five-inning distance. He gave
up three earned runs off five hits, while striking out one and walking one.
     Middleton (7-2) was the loser in his two-and-two-thirds innings, striking out one
and walking two. O'Flynn, Shaffette, and Smith also pitched. Smith struck out one.
     PRCC finished with five hits, led by Brett Harris of Picayune High with a double.
Adkins, Santiago, Jake Smith, and Jabrell Cook of Hattiesburg High all singled.
     Dan Stuart paced Iowa Central's 12-hit attack with his grand slam and a single,
while Kyle tripled and singles. Anthonsen and Johnson both doubled and singled,
while Wiedewitsch and Bethke doubled. Meyer and Woods singled.
     The Wildcats left three base runners stranded during the game, while ICCC left
two. Both teams committed one error each. 

Pearl River gets into win column and sends Brookdale CC packing with lopsided 9-1 decision Sunday

     Ole Miss signee Chris Thompson pitched what was arguably his best game of his
two-year Wildcat career with a three-hit, 10-strikeout, one-walk performance that
eliminated Brookdale (N.J.) on Sunday.
     Pearl River got back on a winning track with a 9-1 victory in only six-and-one-half
innings via the eight-run rule.
     Thompson, a sophomore righthander from Irvington, Ala., showed his domination
early, striking out four of the first six BCC batters he faced.
     The Wildcat offense rose to the occasion in the bottom of the second with four
runs when clean up man Middleton led off with a single, then Brett Harris reached via
an error. Back-to-back fielder's choices loaded the bases for PRCC, then Cook's walk
pushed the Wildcats' first run home. A wild pitch made it 2-0, then Nate Murray of
Bogalusa singled in another run. Jake Smith's one-out squeeze bunt made it 4-0 to end the scoring in the second.
     The Jersey Blues had base runners at first and third with no outs via an error, a
balk, and a single by Yuri Lopetegui, but PRCC pulled off a double play to thwart the
threat. Antonio Miranda scored from third on the double play, but the home plate umpire ruled interference on the play and Miranda returned to third. Mike Pierre grounded out for the final out.
     PRCC left Brett Harris stranded at second in the bottom of the third, but the
Wildcats padded its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Murray got things started with
a one-out walk, then Jake Smith singled, setting the stage for Gros' two-RBI single to
make it 6-0. The Wildcats left runners stranded at first and second in the frame.
     Brookdale's Jason Powell cracked a one-out double in the top of the fifth, then
Miranda singled, putting runners at first and third. Lopetegui then flew out to right
fielder Cook, who made a dynamic throw to home, keeping Powell at bay at third.
Moments later, Powell scored the Jersey Blues' only run off a wild pitch.
     Pearl River iced the cake in the bottom of the sixth. Murray, a UNO signee, led off
with a single, but was thrown out at second on an attempted steal. Gros followed with
a two-out single, setting the stage for Adkins' RBI-double. Adkins scored off Middleton's single, then Brett Harris walked. Middleton scored off a single by Jared Harris of Poplarville to end the scoring. Munna walked to load the bases, then Cook flew out.
     Thompson recorded his final strikeout to open the seventh, then walked his first
batter of the night. Tony Del Grosso and Sean Sykes followed with ground outs to end
the game.
     Thompson finished the season with a team-best 11-3 record with the win, while
Thomas Polito (4-3) was the loser in his three-and-one-thirds innings on the mound,
giving up two earned runs, striking out two, and walking two.
     T.J. Hepworth pitched two-and-one-thirds in relief, giving up three earned runs,
striking out three, and walking one; while Kyle Boturla pitched one-third of an inning,
walking one.
     Powell's double paced BCC's three-hit effort, while Miranda and Lopetegui
singled.
     The Wildcats finished with 10 hits, led by Middleton's triple and two singles,
while Gros and Jake Smith had two singles each. Adkins, Murray, and Jared Harris all
singled.
     The Jersey Blues finished the game with four errors, while the Wildcats had one
miscue.

Pearl River quickly drops into losers bracket with heart-breaking 3-2 loss to NOE Jets in World Series opener

     Pearl River's debut it its first-ever World Series ended with a hard-fought 3-2 loss
to Northern Oklahoma College-Enid on Saturday to end the opening day's action.
     The battle was a cliffhanger with a combined total of 20 base runners left
stranded during the nine-inning affair. The victorious Jets left 11 runners on base, while
the Wildcats left nine.
     After NOC-Enid went three up and three down in the top of the first; the Wildcats
ended the opening frame with runners stranded at first and third via a Gros single and
a hit batter, but couldn't punch a run home.
     Wildcat starter and LSU signee Jered Salazar of Lafayette, La., struck out the first
two Jets he faced in the top of the second, then gave up his first hit of the game when
Jerrod Spears singled.
     NOC first got on the scoreboard in the top of the third off a single, an error, and
two straight bunts. Spears led off with a single, then J.T. Albright reached on a bunt.
Bryan Coppock's ensuing bunt ricocheted off infield surface into third baseman
Adkin's face. The mishap broke Adkins' nose and scored Spears, then Greg Porter reached off another bunt to load the bases. Albright was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice, then Salazar struck out Brenan Herrera and Brent Wadley flew out.
     Action was temporarily suspended upon Adkins' accident. The sophomore
returned to finish the game with a bandaged gash on his nose.
     The Jets threatened again in the top of the fourth, when Mike Garner led off with
a single, then went to second on a wild throw. Spears followed with a one-out walk
putting runners at first and third, but the Wildcats got out of the jam with a double
play.
     In the bottom of the frame, Pearl River couldn't cash in on a bases-loaded
opportunity. Adkins and Middleton got things started with back-to-back singles, then
Jared Harris reached on a one-out error to load the bases. Munna followed with a
strikeout, then Cook flew out to end the inning.
     NOC loaded the bases in the top of the fifth off singles by Porter, Herrera, and
Wadley, but couldn't score, while the Wildcats managed a single by Gros in the bottom of the inning.
     The Jets left one base runner stranded in the top of the sixth, then in the bottom
of the frame, the Wildcats left runners at first and third when Middleton and Munna
walked. The inning ended with Middleton being thrown out at home.
     Salazar opened the eighth with his seventh and final strikeout, then gave up a
single to Wadley and hit back-to-back batters to load the bases. O'Flynn arrived in relief at that point and Spears reached on an error scoring the Jets' second run. O'Flynn walked in NOC's final run to make it 3-0, then Collin Smith relieved and got two quick outs.
     In the bottom of the eighth, Adkins singled and Middleton doubled to se the stage
for Brett Harris' sacrifice to make it 3-1. In the bottom of the final frame, Munna
opened with a single, then Murray reached via an error and Jake Smith singled in Munna for the final run of the night.
     J.T. Severe (10-2) was the winning pitcher in going the distance for the Jets,
giving up two earned runs off nine hits, while striking out three, walking two, and
hitting two batters.
     Salazar (9-6) was the loser in going seven innings, giving up two earned runs off
nine hits, while striking out seven, walking two, and hitting two batters. O'Flynn faced 
two batters in relief in the eighth, while Smith finished the game with one strikeout.
     Both teams finished with nine hits.
     Garner, Porter, and Wadley paced Northern Oklahoma with two singles a piece,
while Herrera, Spears, and Albright all singled.
     Middleton led PRCC with a double and a single, while Gros and Adkins had two
singles each. Munna, Cook, and Murray also singled.
     Eight teams from eight NJCAA districts comprise the annual World Series line up.
Besides PRCC, NOC, and Brookdale; Frederick Community College from Frederick, Md.; Jefferson State CC from Birmingham, Ala.; Kellogg CC from Battle Creek, Mich.; and Parkland CC from Champaign, Ill., made up the 2002 field.