Ocean Springs and Stone wrapped up the regular season last week in much different fashion.
The Greyhounds, who finished second in Region 7-6A action, seem to be in fine form heading into the state playoffs after beating St. Stanislaus on Tuesday 18-5 and then topping the Tomcats on Saturday 14-4 during “Senior Day”.
Stone, after securing the Region 8-4 title with an 8-0 win on the road Tuesday, didn’t have the same type of success away from home to finish out the week falling to East Central 9-0 and then falling to OSHS by 10 two days later.
On Saturday in Ocean Springs, the home-standing Greyhounds wasted no time in making sure first-year head coach Tommy Walker finished off the regular season in fine fashion as they jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first frame and three more in the second.
The Tomcats bounced back a bit with two runs of their own in the top of the third, but OSHS stormed back to basically put the game away with four more runs in the bottom of the stanza. Five more runs from the Greyhounds in the bottom of the sixth ending the game an inning early.
Southern Miss signee McCarty English carried the big stick at the plate for the Greyhounds, as he collected two hits including a two-run double, and drove in a game-high four runs. Brock Cantrell also had a big game offensively, recording two hits including an RBI-double and driving in a trio of runs as well. Greyhound lead-off batter Will Gray, a standout on the football field for OSHS as well, had two hits and drove in two runs, while both J.P. Ford and B. Thomas each had a pair of hits and drove in a run also. One of Ford’s hits was a double, and Grant McDonald also had a run-scoring double in the win. Tanner Beaugez drove in two runs and Jayden Jenkins had an RBI as well.
For Stone, Owen Spooner had two hits and two RBIs to pace the Tomcats offensively and Braxton Jones added a pair of hits including a run-scoring double as well.
Brock Cantrell, one of six OSHS pitchers, picked up the win while Brax Batson took the loss.
Ocean Springs started the two-game win streak on Tuesday in Bay St. Louis with the big 18-5 win over St. Stanislaus.
The Greyhounds began their onslaught of the Rocks with six runs in the top of the second and then added six more in the seventh. In between, OSHS added a total of six runs as well.
The Greyhounds got a two-run home run from Bock Cantrell in that eventful second stanza, and Cantrell finished with three hits and three RBIs both of which were game highs and he scored an almost unbelievable five runs as well. English also had a home run in the win, as well as a double, and he drove in a pair of runs. Chris Fox added a two-run single for OSHS, and Grant McDonald also had a two-run single in the winning 12-hit attack.
Jeremy Mares had two double and drove in a run for SSC, while Ole Miss signee Seth Farni also had a pair of hits and drove in a pair of runs as well.
English worked four frames on the mound, striking out eight, to earn the win while Hill Gainey took the loss.
The Greyhounds, the number two seed in Region 7-6A, open the Class 5A state playoffs at home against Harrison Central on Tuesday while The Rocks, the second seed in Region 8-3A, will also host an opening round game in the Class 3A playoffs on the same night as McLaurin travels to Bay St. Louis.
Meanwhile, Stone, which captured the Region 8-4A championship with an 8-0 win over rival Pass Christian Tuesday night, headed to Hurley Thursday night and suffered a 9-0 loss at the hands of home-standing and defending Class 5A state champion East Central.
Southern Miss signee T.J. Dunsford slapped a pair of run-scoring singles in the win, while Brandt Dickerson added a two-run single as well. Carson Ryder, Logan Terry and Anthony Tanner each had an RBI apiece for ECHS also.
Hayden Porter picked up the win on the hill for ECHS, throwing three innings, as a quartet of Hornet hurlers combined on a four-hit shutout.
Chaz Collins had half of the Tomcats’ hit total and Braxton Jones took the loss for Stone.
The Tomcats open the Class 4A state playoffs on Tuesday night at home against visiting South Pike. East Central, on the other hand, defended its Region 8-5A title this season and has an opening-round bye in the Class 5A state playoffs.
