Hinds sweeps River

POPLARVILLE The Pearl River Wildcats were swept by Hinds in MACJC South Division baseball action here Wednesday with the visiting Eagles taking 6-3 and 7-4 victories. The setbacks drops The River to 25-18 overall and 11-11 in division play, while Hinds improved to 23-15 and 9-11. The Eagles are still in the post-season playoff hunt with two division doubleheaders remaining. HCC hosts division champ Jones County Saturday in Raymond before playing Mississippi Gulf Coast in Perkinston Monday in a make up twin bill. In Wednesday first game, Hinds pelted Pearl River with four runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back. Travious Relaford and Daniel Gilbert got things going with lead off singles, then back-to-back Wildcat errors saw Morris Grant and Tyler Akins reach scoring Relaford and Gilbert to make it 2-0. Pierson Waring sacrifice fly to right scored Grant, while Akins crossed home for the fourth run off Ryno Martin-nez single to center field before Trey Prentiss grounded out for the final out. Pearl River answered with a solo run in the bottom of the frame. Jordan Williams out of Christian County High in Hopkinsville, Ky., led off with a walk, Chase Lewallen of Sumrall High reached on a fielder choice, Matthew Magee of Petal High reached on an error, and B.J. Smith of Sumrall High cracked an up-the-middle base hit to load the bases. James Abraham, a Southeastern Louisiana transfer who prepped at St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis, followed with a sacrifice to center, scoring Lewallen before Derek Sanders of Simpson Academy lined to short to end the inning. The Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but couldnt push a run home; while third frame went scoreless before The River added its final two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Chase Toussaint of Petal High led off with a single to left field, setting the stage for a two-run homer by Aaron Lee of Pearl River Central High to make it 4-3. After the fifth and sixth went scoreless, Hinds scored its final two runs in the top of the seventh. Gilbert led off by reaching on an error, then Grant outran an infield grounder to first. That prompted the mound exit of Wildcat starter Beau Underwood out of St. Patrick High in Biloxi for Hunter Curtis of Petal High. Curtis gave up two base hits to the two batter he faced, including Caleb Baucum two-run single to make it 6-3. Josh Hubbell of Forrest County AHS relieved Curtis at that point to get out of the inning. Cullen Babin relieved Alex Gunn on the mound in the bottom of the frame, giving up a lead off single to Matthew Magee of Petal High before retiring three straight, including two strike outs, to end the game. Starter Taylor Wheaton (2-1) got the win, despite pitching only one inning. He gave up a hit and walked one before Gunn took over and went five frames, giving up five hits, striking out three, and hitting two batters. Babin gave up a hit and struck out two in the seventh. Underwood (2-2) got the loss in his six innings on the mound, giving up seven hits, striking out one, and walking four; while Curtis gave up two hits to the two batters he faced in the seventh before being relieved by Hubbell. Grant (one RBI) and Martin-nez (one RBI) paced Hinds nine-hit attack with two singles each, while Akins (one RBI), Baucum (two RBIs), Gilbert, Gunn, and Relaford all had base hits. Waring had an RBI for the Eagles. PRCC finished with seven hits, led by Lee home run and single (two RBIs); while Magee had two base hits and Grae Ormon of Clinton High, Smith, and Toussaint all had singles. Abraham had an RBI for the Wildcats. Pearl River committed four errors in the game to Hinds three. In the nightcap, HCC went up 1-0 in the top of the second inning when lead off Akins reached on an error, Baucum walked a strikeout later, and Akins scored when Martin-nez reached on a fielder choice. Martin-nez was nailed at second on an attempted steal for the final out. Smith led off the bottom of the frame with a single, moved to second off Abraham ground out, then to third on a passed ball before Ormon flew out to left to end the inning. In the top of the third, Stephen Joe led off with a walk and Andrew Gunn outran a bunt for a base hit, setting the stage for Gilbert RBI single to left an out later to put the Eagles up 2-0. Grant then reached on a fielder choice, but Wildcat starter Taylor Byrd of Petal High Kd Akins for the final out. In the top of the fourth, Hinds padded its lead to 5-0. Adam Thigpen and Baucum led off with base hits with Thigpen scoring when Martin-nez reached on an error and Baucum scoring off Joe single to center field. After Gunn grounded out to third, Relaford sac bunt scored Martin-nez before Gilbert flew to right for the final out. Smith smashed a two-out solo homer over the left center field fence in the bottom of the frame to make it 5-1, while Pearl River added a second run in the bottom of the fifth. Ormon cracked a one-out single to left center and moved to second off a passed ball before Toussaint drew a base on balls. After Lee struck out, Williams smacked an RBI single to center. The Wildcats had runners at first and third when Lewallen grounded out to first to end the inning. The Eagles answered with a run in the top of the sixth. Baucum led off with an up-the-middle single, which saw Byrd exit the mound for Jared Bond of Denham Springs (La.) High. After Martin-nez fouled out, Joe doubled to left field, scoring Baucum to make it 6-2. Gunn hit into a double play for the final outs. Pearl River loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning a pair of singles by Magee and Abraham and a Smith walk, but couldnt push a run home. In the seventh, Hubbell relieved Bond and Relaford led off with a single, stole second, and scored off Gilbert smash to the right center field fence only to be thrown out at third. An out later, Akins doubled down the first-base line before Thigpen flew to center for the final out. PRCC added a pair for runs in the bottom of the inning. Williams cracked a one-out single to left and courtesy runner Davonte Lanier of Wayne County High scored an out later off Magee double to the center field wall. After Smith walked, Abraham singled in Magee to make ti 7-4 before Sanders grounded to the pitcher to end the game. Starter Akins (6-4) got the win in his five innings of action, giving up six hits, striking out four and walking two; while Babin relieved in the sixth. He gave up four hits, struck out two and walked one. Byrd (4-4) got the loss in his five innings on the mound, giving up six hits, striking out four, and walking two; while Bond gave up two hits in the sixth and Hubbell two hits in the seventh. Each team finished with 10 hits with Baucum leading Hinds with three singles; while Joe doubled and singled (two RBIs), Akins doubled, and Gilbert (two RBIs), Relaford (one RBI), Grant, and Thigpen all singled. Martin-nez had two RBIs for the Eagles. Smith paced Pearl River with a homer and a single (one RBI0, while Magee doubled and singled (one RBI), Abraham (one RBI) and Williams (one RBI) had two singles each and Ormon and Toussaint had base hits. Hinds played error free, while PRCC committed three defensive miscues. The Wildcats swept the Eagles in a previous meeting played April 2 in Raymond, taking 3-2 and 13-3 (six innings) victories. Pearl River wraps its regular season Saturday against MACJC South Division rival Copiah-Lincoln in Wesson in a 1 p.m. doubleheader.

Each community college president is asked to bring two (2) wrapped door prizes, minimum value of $50 each. We will have a station set up at the conference for you to drop off the door prizes.

Each community college is asked to provide name tags for their Board members, administration, and staff attending the conference.