A quartet of teams in the “Southern Six” headed into state playoff action in their respective classifications faced off to end the regular season on the diamond on Saturday.
In Lucedale, George County knocked off visiting Harrison Central 3-0 Saturday afternoon. Both teams will be the number three seeds in their regions, the Rebels in Region 8-5A and the Red Rebels in Region 8-6A.
A quartet of GCHS pitchers combined to toss a three-hits shutout against HCHS. Tanner Ododm picked up the win, with four frames of work scattering two hits and striking out five. Bubba Herrington earned a save with one inning on the hill, and Gage Reeves got credit for a hold throwing almost two stanzas before being relived by Taite Davis.
The Rebels managed just four hits themselves in taking the win. Taite Davis had a run-scoring single in the first inning to make it 1-0. Ben Davis, who also reached on a single, then scored on an eror by the Red Rebels to make it 2-0 GCHS entering the top of the second.
Klay Fryfogle added an RBI-single in the fifth for the final count.
Daniel Ruiz, who also had one of the three Red Rebel hits, took the loss on the mound for HCHS.
Harrison Central heads to Ocean Springs Tuesday night to open a best-of-three-game series against the Greyhounds in Class 6A state playoff action, while George County does the same in Class 5A state playoff action traveling to Carriere to meet Pearl River Central.
Meanwhile, in Pass Christian on Saturday afternoon, the home-standing Pirates slipped past St. Stanislaus 6-5 on “Senior Day” as Brendan Necaise celebrated with a run-scoring, walk-off single to end the contest and give PCHS the win. Pass Christian actually trailed 5-0 at one point.
Pass Christian trailed 5-3 entering the bottom of the sixth, but cut into the deficit when Terry Patton scored on a passed ball to make it 5-4. In the fateful seventh stanza, trailing still by that same count, Quinton Emmerick tied the game up at 5-5 on a sacrifice fly setting the state for Necaise’s heroics.
The Rock-a-Chaws built a 5-0 lead by jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first when Chesley Rhodes smacked a two-run double and then came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Jeremy Mares.
St. Stanislaus extended the lead to five runs in the top of the third, when Kyle Stegall tallied a run-scoring double and Mares added an RBI-single.
Southern Miss signee Payton Lacy registered an RBI-double for PCHS in the win, while MyCanton Warren added a run-scoring single also.
Wesley Jolley picked up the pitching win for the Pass with two a pair of scoreless innings of work in relief. Sam Pike suffered the loss for SSC.
The Pirates, the second seed from Region 8-4A, start Class 4A state playoff action against Raymond at home Tuesday night. In the Class 3Astate playoffs, St. Stanislaus opens at home on Tuesday against McLaurin.
