Coming into the weekend, it was already pretty much certain that at least one of the two Class 6A regions in the “Southern Six” wouldn’t know who its three playoff representatives would be until sometime next week.
But, after some rainy conditions on Saturday, now the region race in both leagues won’t be decided until almost the end of the regular season.
In Region 8-6A, D’Iberville stands a game in front of Ocean Springs for the top spot in the standings after both teams won games Friday night. The Warriors blanked Pascagoula at home on “Senior Night” 3-0 while the Greyhounds also picked up a home win knocking off St. Martin 2-1 in nine innings.
Those results put DHS at 6-2 in region play, and the Warriors need just a win over PHS on Thursday night or a loss by OSHS to St. Martin on Monday night to claim the crown. The Greyhounds are 5-3 in the loop, and would be the number one seed with a win and a Warrior loss. Both teams have clinched state playoff berths.
Meanwhile, Pascagoula and St. Martin still have two league games to complete. The Panthers will head to SMHS Tuesday night to finish a suspended game from a few weeks back that will be resumed in the fourth inning with the game tied at 3-3. Pascagoula will then host DHS on Thursday to wrap up league play. St. Martin has to play OSHS and finish the suspended game with ‘Goula as well next week. Both teams are 2-5 in the region.
On Friday night, D’Iberville got a combined dominant pitching performance from Eli Page and Aiden Seymour in the 3-0 shutout of the visiting Panthers.
Page started and worked into the fifth, scattering two hits while striking out nine and walking two. Seymour came on with two outs in the fifth, and secured the next seven outs to earn his second straight save against Pascagoula.
Seymour also closed out Tuesday’s 3-1 win over PHS in game one of the series in relief of starter Aiden Bellman.
In game two, Krabbe gave the Warriors all the runs they needed with an RBI-single in the second stanza for a 1-0 lead. The Warriors completed the scoring with a pair of runs in the fourth frame, as Matthew Dartez came up with a run-scoring single and Tony Hill scored on a passed ball.
Braxton Jarrell started and worked into the fourth to take the loss. Angel Sollivan relieved him and finished the game out and held DHS scoreless but the Panthers couldn’t get anything going against the winning D’Iberville duo of Page and Seymour as PHS finished with just four hits.
At the same time that game was going on, Ocean Springs was keeping its hopes alive to be the top seed in the region with the exciting 2-1 extra-inning win over visiting St. Martin.
J. P. Ford delivered the game-winning hit for the Greyhounds with a walk-off RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth scoring will Gray who had walked and then stole a base.
.Ford was also responsible for the other OSHS run with a ground out in the bottom of the first that scored Jack Jordan and gave the ‘Hounds a 1-0 lead. Ford was also the winning pitcher.
The Yellow Jackets tied the game up in the top of the fifth when Gavin Nitcavic’s RBI-single plated Parker Dobson. That set the stage for Ford’s heroics four frames later.
Ford and Chris Fox had two hits apiece for OSHS, while Nitcavic had a pair of hits for SMHS.
Ford worked two scoreless frames in relief of Griffin Frye to pick up the win. Frye threw the fits seven innings, scattering just two hits and striking out nine.
Trey Junkert, the last of five Yellow Jackets hurlers, took the loss.
In Region 8-A play, Biloxi and Gulfport are knotted up atop the league standings at 6-2 and Harrison Central has already secured the third seed. Biloxi nipped HCHS 2-1 Friday night, while Gulfport hammered Hancock 11-0.
But Saturday’s region finales were wiped out for all four teams in the league, meaning that Harrison Central will host Biloxi Monday night and Hancock will host Gulfport the same night to wrap up region action and decide the top two seeds. A Biloxi win ensures the Indians of the region crown.
(228Sports collaborator Jeremy Forehand contributed to this report)
