Wednesday, February 17, 2010

River splits with Faulkner
Wildcats get first win of baseball season in nightcap of home-opening doubleheader

    POPLARVILLE — After eight tries, Pearl River Community College finally got into the win column here Tuesday in Wildcat Stadium with an NJCAA baseball doubleheader split with Faulkner State (Ala.).
    PRCC fell 4-2 in the first game of the twin bill, but bounced back with an impressive 11-6 victory in the nightcap game to improve to 1-8 overall. The visiting Sun Chiefs from Bay Minette, Ala., are now 1-1 after their season openers.
    In the Wildcat victory, Faulkner went up 2-0 in the top of the opening inning off a two-run homer by Andrew Prichard, but Southern Miss signee Ashley Graeter of Poplarville High smashed a two-run home run in the bottom of the frame to propel the Wildcats a five-run effort and a 5-2 lead.
    In the top of the second, Daniel Wass’ grand slam home run regained the lead for the Sun Chiefs, but the visitors’ scoring stopped there. PRCC tied it up in the bottom of the inning, then added five more in the third for the last runs of the contest.
    Freshman lefthander Buck Bernard of Petal High (1-0) got the win in going the distance, giving up nine hits, striking out four, and walking one; while Jacob Hyde (0-1), who relieved in the third, got the loss. Chance Peterson started for FSCC and went one inning before Austin Trehern took over in the second. Hyde pitched four frames with Jeffery Tingle relieving in the seventh.
    Prichard led the Sun Chiefs with a homer and a single (two RBIs), while Jeffrey Howell and Josh Huggins had two singles each. Wass homered (four RBIs) and Eric Britain and Randall Kizer both singled.
    Graeter paced the Wildcats’ 14-hit attack with a homer and two singles (two RBIs), while Sumrall High products Jake Hawkins and B.J. Smith smacked two doubles and a single each, accounting for two RBIs each. Temple Harvey of Brandon High doubled and singled (two RBIs), Matt Linton of East Central High had two base hits, and Bryn Whitehead of Sumrall High doubled.
    Faulkner committed two errors in the game to Pearl River’s four miscues.
    In the first game of the twin bill, PRCC went up 1-0 in the bottom of the second Harvey cracked a lead off single to center before Whitehead reached on an error. With runners at first and third, B.J. Smith hit into a double play, scoring Harvey, before Linton flew out.
    The Sun Chiefs took the lead for good in the fourth when Prichard reached after being belted by a pitch with two outs, stole second, and scored off Tyler Richburg’s single. Brian Clark followed with a two-run homer out of left to make it 3-1. Kizer then singled down the third-base line and Howell walked before Stephen Clarke hit into a fielder’s choice for the final out.
    In the bottom of the sixth, the Wildcats scored their final run when Graeter was hit by a pitch with one out and scored a pop-out later of a single by Zach Farrar of Brandon High. Harvey followed with a single to left before Whitehead flew out to right to end the inning.
    Faulkner’s final run came when Kizer led off with a double down the third-base line and scored a strikeout later off Clarke’s single to center field.
    Starter Patrick Shreve (1-0) got the win in his four innings on the mound, giving up two hits and striking out one, while Joseph Hernandez relieved in the fifth to close it out. He gave up three hits, struck out one and hit a batter.
    Wildcat starter Brett Blaise (0-3), a sophomore lefthander out of Heritage Academy in Columbus, got the loss in his four innings of action. He gave up five hits, struck out two, walked one, and hit a batter before Josh Hubble of Forrest County AHS relieved in the fifth. Hubble gave up two hits and recorded a strikeout.
    Clark led the Sun Chief’s seven-hit effort with a homer and a single (two RBIs), while Kizer doubled and singled, Richburg had two base hits (one RBI), and Clarke singled (one RBI).
    PRCC finished with five hits, led by Harvey with two singles; while Farrar (one RBI), Linton, and B.J. Smith (one RBI) all had base hits.
    The River played error-free, while FSCC had two defensive miscues.
    Pearl River returns to action Saturday with a road trip to Central Alabama CC in Andalusia, Ala., for an 11:30 a.m. contest against Wallace-Dothan (Ala.) and a 3 p.m. battle against host CACC. On Wednesday, Feb. 24, PRCC travels to Jackson State University in Jackson to face MACJC non-division foe Coahoma in a 1 p.m. twin bill before returning to Wildcat Stadium to kick off a four-game home stand.
    Saturday, Feb. 27, Gulf Coast-Panama City visits, followed by Bevill State (Ala.) Tuesday, March 2; L.B. Wallace (Ala.) Saturday, March 6; and Hibbing (Minn.) Sunday, March 7. All are 2 p.m. doubleheaders.