It’s a big week in Pearl River County for prep baseball purposes this week. Especially in Region 7-5A.
Arch-rivals Picayune and Pearl River Central stand tied atop the league stands each coming in with perfect 4-0 marks after two weeks of region action. Both the Maroon Tide and Blue Devils have swept Long Beach and West Harrison and now are set to meet in a home-and-home two-game series this week starting on Tuesday at Kent Kirkland Field in Picayune.
The Blue Devils come into the big showdown off a pair of wins over the Hurricanes last week, winning 5-1 in Carriere on Tuesday and then slipping past WHHS 3-2 on the road Friday.
In the latest win, PRC got a pair of hits from both Austin Gill and Wes Gardner with Gill also driving in a run in the win while B.J. Belleo also drove in a run. Jacob Johnson threw a complete game for the win, scattering three singles, striking out four and walking three.
Hunter Ross took the tough-luck loss for the Hurricanes with six solid innings of work.
In the first game of the series in Carriere, PRC jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead and never trailed in taking the win.
Calb Dyess smashed a home run and a double and drove in two runs for the Blue Devils, while Gardner also registered a two-run double. Conner Dyess also added two hits, including a double, to the winning effort while Johnson had a double as well.
Carlos Pena Ramirez drove in the only Hurricanes run.
Caleb Dyess also picked up the win with a strong performance on the mound, going six stanzas and striking out 10. Donald Davis took the loss.
Meanwhile, while PRC was sweeping two games from WHHS Picayune was doing the same to Long Beach.
On Tuesday, the Maroon Tide took a 5-1 home win over the Bearcats as Brady Robertson dominated on the mound for Picayune working five frames and allowing just one hit while striking out five to pick up the win on the hill. Morgan Craft drove in two runs for Picayune in the win.
On Friday night in Long Beach, Picayune trailed the home-standing bearcats 5-4 entering the final frame of regulation but managed to tie the game up and send it into extra innings. The Maroon Tide then rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth to pull out the win and remain unbeaten in the region race.
Both Robertson and Justin Stockstill drove in two runs apiece for Picayune, while Robertson and Tanner Busby each registered a pair of hits apiece as well. Busby, who had a double, Cooper Moreaux and Landon Watts drove in a run apiece in the winning effort.
Kyler King picked up the win in relief of Busby, and threw just over four frames of scoreless ball.
Brady Watts paced Long Beach at the plate with two hits and two RBIs. Jake Thomas, one of six Bearcat pitchers, was saddled with the loss.
Also, in other Region 7-5A action this week, West Harrison and Long Beach face off in a two-game series as well.
