Pearl River County stands atop Region 7-5A after one week of league play on the prep baseball diamond.
Both Pearl River Central and Picayune share first place in the region race after sweeping home and home series on Tuesday and Thursday. The Blue Devils knocked off Long Beach 10-1 and 5-1 while the Maroon Tide beat West Harrison 8-1 and 5-1.
In Carriere on Tuesday night, Wes Gardner tallied three hits and drove in a pair of runs to pace PRC to the 10-1 win while Jacob Johnson also chipped in three hits as well and he scored three ties. Conner Duess and Chris Hart each recorded a pair of RBIs, while Caleb Dyess and Riley Wilson each drove in a run apiece also.
Caleb Dyess earned the win with four frames of work striking out six and allowing the one run.
For the Bearcats, Ashton Johnson and Nathan Kenworthy each had a double and Hunter Blackwell drove in the lone Long Beach run.
Eli Hodges started and took the loss.
Thursday night in Carriere, Hart led the Blue Devils at the plate with a pair of hits and he drove in. gam-high three runs while Conner Dyess added a triple and Johnson cracked a run-scoring double in the 5-1 win. Wilson also had two hits and Austin Gill drove in a run as well.
Johnson hurled six stanzas of two-hit ball and struck out eight while walking three in picking up the win.
Pearl River Central, under the direction of veteran head coach Neil Walther, stands 13-5 overall as well as 2-0 in league play while LBHS is 8-9 overall. The Blue Devils host West Harrison on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in Picayune on Tuesday night, the home0-standing Maroon Tide got a dominant pitching performance from Brady Robertson and a two-run single from Cooper Moreaux to secure the 5-1 win over West Harrison to open region play.
Robertson, also Picayune’s starting quarterback, tossed six shutout innings striking out eight and allowing six hits in picking up the win. In addition to Moreaux’s two RBI, Morgan Craft drove in a run and Robertson helped himself out at the plate with an RBI as well and Kyler King had a team-high two hits.
The visiting Hurricanes got to hits from Justin Seal and Landen Wallace drove in the lone WHHS run. Donald Davis went the distance on the hill for the Hurricanes scattering five hits while walking for and striking out three in taking the loss.
On Thursday night, Picayune got yet another solid pitching performance in the 8-1 victory.
This time it was Busby shining on the mound for the Maroon Tide as he hurled six dominant shutout frames allowing just three hits while striking out seven and walking two in earning the win.
Robertson collected two hits for Picayune, including a home run, and he dove in a pair of runs while Justin Stockstill also chipped in two hits to the winning effort including a run-scoring triple. Craft added a pair of hits and two RBI as well at the plate for Picayune.
Hunter Ross had two hits and drove in the only WHHS run. He also was the losing pitcher, matching Busby’s six stanzas work allowing seven hits while striking out the same number and walking five.
Picayune is 8-9 overall and also 2-0 in league play while West Harrison is 4-14 overall.
Picayune hosts Long Beach on Tuesday.
