By Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette
And
Curtis Rockwell/228Sports Director
A quartet of teams in the “Southern Six” got off to a successful start Monday night as the South State baseball playoffs got underway a day early.
In Class 4A, Pass Christan, got a combined no-hit shutout on the mound and the Pirates also carried some big sticks at the plate in running roughshod over Raymond 15-0. In Class 3A play, St. Stanislaus smacked McLaurin 1-0 and St. Patrick popped St. Andrews Episcopal 9-2.
In Pass Christian, with five runs in the bottom of the first inning and Southern Miss signee Peyton Lacy throwing on the mound combined to be a winning recipe for the Pirates as the game basically was over before it even started. The Pirates no-hit the visiting Rangers in five innings and won easily 15-0 in Game 1 for the best of three series.
“I thought we started out the way we wanted to, we swung the bat really well, hit the ball well, and scored some early runs,” stated Pass Christian Head Baseball Coach Ricky Smith. “We took some pressure of the mound, even though Peyton pitched really well tonight. Brendan Necaise is going to be our starter Friday and we don’t want to take Raymond High School for granted.”
To start the game, Lacy helped himself at the plate hitting a double and knocking in shortstop Dylan Welter for the early Pass High lead 1-0. Briefly after, Pass Christian’s Quinton Emerick laced a line drive single which brought in Lashowen Laneaux, who pinch-ran for Lacy.
With three more runs coming across to end the inning on a 5-0 jump, the barrage began with the Pirates scoring 10 runs in the next three innings.
Lacy pitched four complete innings, allowing no hits, no runs, 1 walk and 10 strikeouts to earn the playoff victory. The Pirates Freshman Wesley Jolley came in for the final three outs, struck out one, and kept the no-hit secure.
Pass Christian’s offense reached the bases 20 times with 9 hits, 8 walks, and three errors, but Emerick and Andre Gilberti had two hits a piece while Welter, Laneaux, Emerick, Evan Anderson and Mycanton Warren each scored multiple runs.
Game 2 of the series will be played at Raymond High School. The Pirates could advance to the second round of the MHSAA 4A Playoffs with a victory.
Meanwhile, home-standing St. Stanislaus scored multiple runs in each of the first four frames to end the game after five frames at 10-0.
Chesley Rhodes mashed a three-run homer for the Rocks, while four SSC players had two hits apiece in the winning nine-hit attack. Junior Brady Wallis had two hits and drove in two runs, while Ole Miss signee Seth Farni had a pair of hits including a run-scoring double and Jeremy Mares added two hits including a double as well. Hill Gainey and Wiley Mossy each also drove in a run apiece.
Gainey picked up the win with a complete game shutout in the mercy rule-ended game, as he gave up three hits and struck out five and walked three.
The teams will face off again Friday night.
In other action, St. Patrick went on the road to Ridgeland and topped SAE 9-2. The Fighting Irish trailed 2-1 heading into the fifth frame, before erupting for eight runs over the final three innings to pull out the come-from-behind win.
Jacob Alexander cracked a solo home run in the win for SPHS and Jake Landgrave had a two-run double in the win. A trio of Fighting Irish players recorded two hits apiece in the win. John Hay had two doubles and drove in a pair of runs, while Otis Brooks added two hits and an RBI and Carson Kilpatrick had two hits as well for SPHS.
Brooks also turned in a solid effort on the hill for the Fighting Irish, as he tossed a complete game two-hitter to take the win while striking out eight
and walking three.
The next game is Friday at SPHS.
The fourth team in the “Southern Six” to win its playoff opener Monday night was Vancleave in Class 5A as the Bearcats slipped past Vancleave 4-1.
