The George County baseball team has called St. Martin a home away from home from Lucdeale the past few days.
And the Rebels of veteran head coach Brandon Davis have done so with mixed results in the annual Battle at the Beach.
On Monday, George County dropped a close 5-4 decision to Starkville Academy at SMHS. Then on Tuesday, the Rebels used a fifth-inning rally to post a 10-8 comeback win over Jackson Prep and one of the top recruits in the nation in the class of 2024.
George County now stands 10-4 overall on the season, and the win over Prep snapped a two-game losing streak for the Rebels.
On Monday, it looked as if the Rebels were in prime position to take the win and bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Pearl River Central to end last week. George County led Starkville Academy 3-0 entering the seventh inning after the Rebels had taken a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third and then tacked on two more three frames later.
But in the top of the seventh stanza, the Volunteers rallied for five runs off of five hits to surge ahead 5-3. George County countered with a lone run in the bottom of the inning, but SA’s late-inning rally proved too much for the Rebels to overcome.
Ben Davis and Jacob Eubanks each collected a pair of hits and drove in a run apiece for GCHS, while Gage Reeves and Tanner Odom also registered a pair of hits apiece. Colin Havard took the loss in relief of Odom who started and pitched into the seventh.
Julian Kraker took the win for SA, while Drew Williams had a pair of hits including a run-scoring triple in that eventful seventh stanza for the Vols.
On Tuesday, it was George County’s turn to produce an exciting come-from-behind win.
Jackson Prep jumped out to a quick and seemingly at one point commanding 5-0 lead in the top of the second and then also led 8-3 after the Patriots batted in the top of the fourth. But the Rebels rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of that fourth inning and then plated five runs in the fifth to bounce back and seal the win as the GCHS pitchers held JP scoreless in the final three innings.
Klay Fryfogle belted a two-run homer for GCHS in the win, while Gage Reeves had a run-scoring double. Brody Howell was the winning pitcher.
Jackson Prep got two hits including a triple and a pair of RBIs from LSU commit Konnor Griffin in the loss. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior Griffin is considered one of the highest-ranked prospects in the nation in his class. Duncan Matthews had two hits also for the Patriots, including a homer, and he drove in three runs.
Next up for George County in more BATB action is a date at home in Lucedale vs. West Point.
In other action at The Battle at the Beach Tuesday night, Mdison-Ridgeland Academy handed Bioxi its first loss of the season with an 11-2 thumping while Pascagoula fell to Faith Academy of Mobile, Ala., 3-1.
Meanwhile, D’Iberville beat Parklane Academy 6-1 and Ocean Springs was shut out for the second consecutive night losing to Clinton 2-0.
Featured games on Wednesday in the event include St. Martin hosting Mountain Brook (Ala.) at 7 p.m., as well as West Harrison hosting Oxford at the same time. Meanwhile, Pascagoula hosts in BATB action for the fourth time in five days and the third straight night as visiting West Point comes calling to Ingalls Field at 7 p.m.
