St. Stanislaus and St. Patrick face off in a big two-game home and home series in Region 8-3A action this week, beginning Tuesday night in Bay St. Louis.
The Rock-a-Chaws currently sit in second place in the league standings, as the teams begin their fourth week of region play already. St. Stanislaus is 5-1, a game behind West Marion at 6-0. The Fighting Irish sit in the fourth spot in the standings at 2-4 after being swept in two games by Seminary last week, a game behind that same Bulldog squad which stands at 3-3.
The Rocks are coming off a two-game sweep of Jefferson Davis County, after beating the Jaguars 17-0 on Friday night.
Both Seth Farni and Jeremy Mares blasted three-run home runs in that big win for SSC, while Chesley Rhodes had two hits including a run-scoring double as well. Kyle Stegall chipped in a two-run single to the winning effort as well, and Parker Saucier added an RBI-double as well in the game that ended after four frames.
Tate Murphy, one of a trio of SSC hurlers, picked up the win with two innings of work.
The Rocks outscored JDC 35-7 in two games that each lasted a total of nine innings.
St. Patrick, on the other hand, fell to Seminary 4-0 Friday and 7-6 on Tuesday. Trey Kopszwya had a double for the Fighting Irish in the latest loss.
Seminary and SSC split a pair of games in week two of Region 8-3A play. St. Patrick, which has also faced league-leading West Marion and dropped a pair of names to the Trojans as well, is aiming to maintain its grip on that fourth and final playoff spot in the region race.
Meanwhile, defending Class 1A state champion Resurrection remained unbeaten after two games in Region 8-1A play late last week with a 13-0 thumping of visiting Lumberton.
That decision, coupled with a 13-2 decision over the Panthers on Tuesday, puts the Eagles at 2-0 in the race to defend their region title and earn the number one seed in the region for the fifth straight time.
On Friday, Luke Schnoor cracked a pair of doubles and a single and drove in three runs to lead RCS at the plate, while Cole Tingle also drove in three runs with a pair of hits in the win. Levi Foshee added a run-scoring double, while Jesus San Miguel also had a pair of hits and an RBI.
Tingle went the five-inning complete game to earn the win, allowing just one hit while striking out 11 and walking two.
Next up for RCS is a region doubleheader at home against Salem beginning Tuesday afternoon at four. The Eagles have not lost a region game in almost six years. RCS is currently on a 34-game league win streak and the Eagles have won 39 out of their past 40 region games.