There’s been quite a bit of cross-region action in Class 5A in the “Southern Six” early in the new prep baseball season and so far Region 8-5A has the advantage over Region 7-5A,
And that interleague play will continue Tuesday night in Pearl River County when George County travels to Picayune and Vancleave heads to Carriere to face Pearl River Central.
George County has started the new baseball season in a similar fashion to its Region 8-5A foe and defending state champion East Central as the Rebels have jumped out to a 3-0 start.
The Rebels picked up a pair of close one-run wins over Region 7-5A member Long Beach in the first week of play, winning at home 10-9 in eight innings on Monday and then on the road at Long Beach 7-6 on Friday.
In the season-opener for both teams, Gage Reeves drove in the inning run in the bottom of the extra frame in Lucedale. Reeves and four other Rebels each collected two hits in the winning effort, as he was joined by Case Crawley, Tanner Odom, Brody Howell, and Klay Fryfogle in that department as GCHS rapped out 14 hits in the win. Taite Davis had a double and drove in three runs, while Crawley and Howell each had a double as well. Jacob Eubanks and Crawley each drove in two runs.
The Rebels used six pitchers in the contest, with Colin Havard picking up the win.
Long Beach had 11 hits in the losing effort, led by Wesley Watson’s game-high total of three and Ashton Schepens and Brady Watts collected a pair of hits apiece, while H. Blackwell and Luke Thomas both drove in a pair of runs from the top of the order for the Bearcats.
N. Kenworth, the second of three LBHS hurlers on the night, took the loss.
On Friday in Long Beach, George County overcame a 4-0 deficit with five runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh to pull out yet another one-run win over the Bearcats.
Reeves delivered a game-high three hits, including a double, and drove in a run for GCHS while Eubanks added a pair of doubles and drove in a game-high three runs in the winning effort. Crawley also drove in a pair of runs for the Rebels.
Andrew Nielsen, the second of three GCHS pitchers, picked up the win with almost five frames of work in relief of Colin Havard while B. Herrington earned a save.
The early season woes continued for the Bearcats on Monday as home-standing Gautier proved to be rude hosts hanging a 10-3 loss on Long Beach. The same two teams will meet again Friday in Gautier.
Matthew Tanner led the Gators with three singles and two RBIs, while Ole Miss signee Kaden Irving was one of three Gators with two hits in the game as he belted out a double and a single and drove in three runs, and also scored three runs in the Gautier win. Marcus Cunningham, Jr., and Sebastian Gonzalez also added a pair of hits apiece, while Cunningham also scored three runs. Gavin Pound also drove in two runs for Gautier.
Christopher Nelson picked up the win on the mound for the Gators, as he started and hurled four frames allowing three runs and striking out five.
Gautier is off to a quick 3-1 start under first-year head coach Dieon Ulmer and the Gators have won three straight games. Ulmer’s squad has out-scored the opposition 38-3 in that three-game span.
Nelson had a two-run homer in a 10-0 win over Laurel, while Enrique Flores added a two-run single. Gregory Johnson picked up the win over the Golden Tornadoes.
In an 18-0 thumping of Mobile Williamson, Fredrick Nicholson smacked a home run and drove in four runs in that win for Gautier, while Flores added a triple and two RBIs. Cunningham and Pound also drove in two runs apiece in the winning effort.
