Both Gulfport and George County picked up close one-run wins at home in inter-region prep baseball action in the “Southern Six” Thursday night.
In Class 6A the Admirals beat visiting Pascagoula 3-2 while in Class 5A the Rebels slipped past Real River Central 5-4.
At Herbert Wilson Field in Gulfport, Ethan Garner belted a two-out, two-run game-winning home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out the win for the Region 8-6A Admirals over their Region 6-7A foe the Panthers.
Gulfport’s Nicholas Williams picked up the pitching win while Pascagoula’s Brayden Scott was the tough luck loser despite a solid complete game effort on the mound for the Panthers.
Mississippi State signee Keilon Parnell also had a home run for Pascagoula in the contest. The Panthers were off a loss to yet another region 8-6A foe on Tuesday as the visiting Hawks beat the Panthers 7-4 on Tuesday night.
Both the Admirals and Panthers begin play in the annual Battle of the Beach as Gulfport hosts Daphne (Ala.) on Friday night at 6 p.m., at the “Bert” while Pascagoula hosts Pelahatchie Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
Also on Saturday afternoon in Pascagoula, prior to the Pascagoula Pelahatchie game in the Battle of the Beac defending Class 1A state champion Resurrection will face off with Pelahatchie as well.
Meanwhile, in Lucedale, home-standing Region 8-5A member George County began a home-and-home two-day series with Region 7-5A foe PRC.
The Rebels got the one-run win in exciting fashion, as they led throughout most of the game after taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The Blue Devils slowly bided their time and then exploded for four runs in the top of the sixth stanza to grab a 4-1 advantage.
The Rebels, however, bounced back with a four-run frame of their own in the bottom of that same inning to retake their previous one-run lead and then secured the win holding PRC scoreless in the top of the seventh.
Taite Davis led the Rebels’ winning attack at the plate with two hits and he drove in a run, while Tanner Odom also recorded an RBI.
Caleb Dyess tallied an RBI-double for PRC and Sam Tuminello added two hits including a double as well. Jacob Johnson also had an RBI as the Blue Devils actually out-hit the Rebels seven to six.
Bubba Herrington picked up the win for George County, while Odom picked up a save. The PRC rally in the fifth caused Rebel starting pitcher Andrew Nielsen to not be involved in the final decision despite a solid first five-plus frame in which he scattered two hits and allowed the first two Blue Devil runs.
Isaias Ryan took the loss with a complete game performance for PRC.
The same two teams meet again in Carriere Friday night.
The Rebels will also compete in the annual Battle at the Beach event beginning next week.
