Home-standing Ocean Springs used a big three-run walk-off home run by lead-off hitter Maddox Moreland in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Biloxi 6-3 Tuesday night at Greyhound Park.
The win in the interleague battle of Class 6A neighboring foes moves the Greyhounds to an even 8-8 overall on the season as the Greyhounds get ready for Region 7-6A play next week. The decision marked the third straight loss for the Indians after Biloxi opened the season by winning 12 straight games. Biloxi is 12-3 overall and it prepares for Region 8-6A action next week.
Ocean Springs jumped out to a quick 2-0 advantage after the first frame off of Indian starter Logan Fontenelle.
But Fontenelle and his tribe of Indians fought back, scoring two runs in the third inning to knot things up at 2-2 and adding one in the fourth to take their first lead of the game at 3-2 as Fontenelle helped himself with a solo home run and Ian Henry added a run-scoring single.
Ocean Springs scratched across a run in the bottom of the sixth to again tie things up and set the stage for Moreland’s late-game heroics.
The junior designated hitter Moreland strode to the plate with a pair of teammates on against reliever Henry and ended the game with the stroke of his bat sending the baseball into the night and the Indians back across the bridge with a loss.
Moreland led OSHS at the plate in the win with two hits including the three-run round-tripper and he also had a run-scoring single to finish the night with a game-high four RBIs. Tanner Beaugez chipped in a two-run single to the winning attack, while Brock Cantrell added a double.
Jack Jordan, one of three pitchers for the Greyhounds, picked up the win. Southern Miss signee McCarty English started for Ocean Springs, but when the Indians chased him during their mid-inning rally Griffin Frye came on and hurled an effective three frames of relief keeping the Greyhounds in the game until the climactic rally late in the game.
The trio of Greyhoundhurlers limited Biloxi to just three hits overall.
Henry took the loss after taking over for Fontenelle in the bottom of the seventh. The loss overshadowed a solid effort on the hill who threw the first six innings and after allowing the two runs in the first frame to the Greyhounds he settled won and tossed four straight shutout innings until Ocean Springs tied things up in the sixth.
Ocean Springs travels to Hancock Friday night while Gulfport hosts D’Iberville.
