Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wildcats pound Bears
Pearl River grabs first South Division victories with 11-5, 10-0 twin bill romp over Southwest

            POPLARVILLE — Pearl River’s Wildcats picked up their first MACJC South Division baseball wins here Wednesday with a dominating 11-5, 10-0 doubleheader romp over Southwest Mississippi.
            PRCC smacked a combined 19 hits in the twin bill and improved to 15-12 overall and 2-2 in division play, while the visiting Bears dropped to 14-12 and 3-3.
            In the first game, the Bears took an early 5-0 lead, but the Wildcats’ bats came alive in the bottom of the second, third, and fourth frames accounting for all 11 runs.
            Wildcat starter Heath Stevens of Picayune High pitched only one-and-two-thirds, giving up two runs in the first and three in the second before Cory Jordan of Bay High relieved in the second. Stevens loaded the bases with the first three batters he faced, giving up back-to-back singles and a walk. Nielson Chao then reached on a fielder’s choice to drive in the first run, while Toby Easterly, the Bears’ starting pitcher, sacrificed in the second.
            Pearl River’s Reggie Lee of Hattiesburg drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first, but Jeremy Greene of Purvis hit into a double play to end the inning.
            In the top of the second, Southwest scored its final runs off back-to-back singles, a wild throw to first base, a walk, and a two-run double Chao. At that point, Stevens exited the game with runners at second and third for Jordan who retired Easterly to get out of the inning.
            In the bottom of frame, Stevens and Johnny Allen of Grenada led off with back-to-back base hits, then Brock White of Columbia loaded the bases after being belted by a pitch. An out later, Easterly hit Hunter Dunaway of Purvis with a pitch to push in the Wildcats’ first run and Hoyt Hughes of Picayune High followed with a two-run single. Nick Smith of Purvis bunted in PRCC’s  fourth run to make it 5-4 Southwest after two.
            Pearl River took the lead for good in the third when Allen reached on an error with two outs and White and Daniel Lawrence of Petal followed with base hits to tie it up. Dunaway walked to load the bases, then Hughes reached on an error and two more runs scored to make it 7-5 before Smith popped out.
            The Wildcats ended the scoring in the fourth when Greene drew a one-out walk, Stevens was belted by a pitch, and White cracked a two-out, two-run single; setting the stage for Lawrence’s two-run homer to make it 11-5.
            Easterly, who picked up the loss, was relieved by Lucas King at that point; while Jeremy Wallace relieved King in the bottom of the sixth. All told, Southwest left 10 baserunners stranded in the game.
            Jordan (2-0) struck out three and walked two, while Easterly struck out two, walked two, and hit three batters. King had a strike out and a base on balls, Wallace had a struck out and a hit batter.
            Chao paced SMCC’s eight-hit effort with a double and a single, while Justin Hay had two singles and Easterly, Blake McKee, and Drew Miller all singled.
            Pearl River also finished with eight hits, led by Lawrence’s homer and single; while White had two base hits and Allen, Dunaway, Hughes, and Stevens all singled.
            Southwest committed three errors in the game to Pearl River’s two.
            In the nightcap, PRCC went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first and never looked back. The Wildcats padded its lead with seven run in the second, then ended the game via the 10-run rule with a solo run in the sixth.
            Wildcat starter Brennen Hodge of Poplarville High (4-2) picked up the win in his five innings on the mound, striking and seven and walking one; while Tyler Watkins of Petal relieved in the sixth.
            Bear starter Zach White got the loss in his one-and-one-third innings of action, while Coty Sarantus relieved in the second and Chris Fleming in the fifth.
            Chao and Hay paced Southwest’s six-hit effort with two singles each, while Easterly and Jared Keen had base hits.
            PRCC finished with 11 hits, led by Allen and Stevens who both doubled and singled; while Greene and Josh Wiley of Hattiesburg High doubled. Hughes, Lawrence, Smith, Reggie Lee of Hattiesburg High, and Derek Tortorich of Pearl River Central all singled.
            Pearl River played error-free, while Southwest committed four miscues in the game.
            The Wildcats host MACJC South Division rival Jones County Saturday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader, then its more league action Tuesday when they travel Copiah-Lincoln in Wesson for a 4 p.m. twin bill.