With league-leading Pass Christian off in Region 8-4A action last week, Stone made a strong push for the top spot in the standings with a sweep of Greene County.
The Tomcats stand 5-1 in league play, and will take this week off before facing the Pirates in a two-game series next week that will in all probability decide the region champion.
Stone, under the direction of head coach Sean Miller, stopped the Wildcats 2-0 in Leakesville on Tuesday and then 6-1 in Wiggins on Friday. Greene County is 0-4 in league play.
In the latest win, Stone exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to overcome a 1-0 GCHS lead and take control of the game. The Wildcats had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Hunter Parker picked up the win with almost three scoreless innings of relief work on the hill. Anderson Hickman struck out seven in just over four frames as the starter.
In game one of the series, Connor Tice tossed six stanzas of shutout ball striking out 10 and scattering three hits on the mound. Hunter Parker picked up the save with two strike outs in a scoreless seventh inning of work.
.Meanwhile, Moss Point and Bay High split a pair of games in Region 8-4A play last week, as both squads won on the road with MPHS nipping Bay 5-4 on Tuesday in Hancock County and BHS smashing Moss Point 11-0 in Jackson County.
Bay High handed Stone its only loss in league play so far, a 4-1 decision a few weeks back. Bay High currently sits in third place in the region race at 2-2, behind Pass Christian at 4-0 and Stone. Moss Point, as of now, holds down the fourth and final playoff spot in Region 8-4A with a 1-3 mark.
This week, Pass Christian plays Bay High in a two-game series while MossPoint and Greene County do the same. The Tiger-Wildcat match-up will go a long way in deciding the fourth and final playoff seed in the league.
Region 8-4A has only five teams, four of which will qualify for the Class 4A state playoffs. The other Class 4A region that reaches down a bit into the “Southern Six” is Region 7-4A which includes Poplarville.
The Hornets currently sit in the third spot in that region race with a 3-2 mark, with a game in hand as well after having the first game of their two-game set against Purvis postponed last week.
Purvis did knock off Poplarville 8-3 on Friday. Previously, the Hornets swept a pair of region games from Forrest County AHS by identical 5-1 scores and also split a pair of league games with Columbia losing game one 6-5 before winning game two 11-2.
Sumrall and Purvis are tied atop the region standings currently with 5-1 marks.
