Stone shut out home-standing Pass Christian 8-0 Tuesday night to capture the Region 8-4A championship.
The win resulted in a split of the two-game series between the Tomcats and Pirates, as PCHS won in Wiggins on Friday night 4-2 but SHS earned the tie-breaker due to run differential and as a result the number one seed in the region race.
On Tuesday, Stone standout Conner Tice, who also serves as the Tomcat quarterback on the football team, had himself a night on the baseball diamond as well as he collected a pair of hits including a double and drove in two runs. Braxton Jones tallied a game-high three hits for the Tomcats, including a run-scoring double in the winning attack as well.
Dylan Welter and L.J. Jayns split the Pirates’ four total hits in the game, with two hits apiece.
Anderson Hickman hurled five frames for Stone, scattering two hits and striking out five but walked a game-high seven in picking up the win.
Brendan Necaise took the loss for PCHS.
In the first game of the series, Pass Christian used a three-run sixth stanza to take control and hold on for the 4-2 win.
The Pirates picked up the win while managing just three hits, all singles. Andre Gilberti drove in two runs to pace the Pirates at the plate.
Chaz Collins cracked a run-scoring double at the plate for the Tomcats.
Southern Miss signee Peyton Lacy tossed almost six stanzas of dominant ball in picking up the win, as he struck out 10 and scattered just two hits while walking just four. Evan Anderson earned a save with just over an inning of relief work.
Tice took the loss.
Both teams start the Class 4A state playoffs on Tuesday, and each will have home-field advantage in their respective best-of-three series as Pass Christian hosts Raymond and Stone hosts South Pike. Ston was scheduled to warm up for the postseason with a game at East Central Thursday night.
In the four lower classifications for playoff purposes in the Mississippi High School Activities Association, four teams in each region qualify for the postseason and the top seed does not get an opening-round bye in those four classes. In the top two classifications, just three teams make the state playoffs and the number one seeds do get an opening round bye in the first best-of-three series while the second and third seeds from opposing regions battle it out beginning next Tuesday as well on April 25th. The region winners in Class 5A and Class 6A don’t begin the state playoff until the following week beginning on May, 2nd. The state championship round for all six classifications is set for the middle of May in Pearl at Trustmark Park the home of the Class AA Atlanta Braves affiliate Mississippi Braves.
