MOORHEAD, Miss. — The No. 5 Pearl River Wildcats improved to 26-5 overall and 6-0 in MACCC conference play following a sweep of Mississippi Delta. The Wildcats cruised through game one, winning 17-3. Behind a JT Schnoor (Pascagoula; Resurrection) complete game, PRCC won game two 5-2.
“I thought we did everything pretty well today, with being on the road and in tough conditions,” head coach Michael Avalon said. “I was just proud that we just kept scoring and finished games off.”
GAME ONE
Pearl River (26-5 Overall; 6-0 MACCC) got an early lead in game one and did not look back. With four separate players belting home runs over the Mississippi Delta (6-14; 0-6) left field wall, the Wildcat offense was tenacious.
Jeff Ince (Brandon; Jackson Prep) correctly began the game, working a full-count walk on seven pitches. Creek Robertson (Oxford; Madison Central) followed with his own walk. With pressure building early, the dangerous Hollis Porter (Hurley; East Central) stepped up to the plate. Despite squibbing a grounder to the shortstop, an Ince run came across to score. The Wildcats added the second run of the inning on a JP Robertson (Madison; Germantown) double to left field. Creek Robertson scored on the play.
Caleb Dyess (Carriere; Pearl River Central) produced a quick bottom of the first, only using a handful of pitches to achieve the three-up and three-down frame. The Wildcats tacked on another in the second with a single off the bat of Ince. Hustling, Alex Wade (Decatur, Ala.; Madison Academy) came around to score after stealing second base.
With the Wildcats up 3-0, Dyess returned to work on the mound, getting a flyout, groundout, and strikeout. In the third, PRCC added three runs; two came off the bat of Jonah Katsaboulas (Brandon), who roped a homer over the left field wall on a two-strike count with two outs. The other run was produced primarily by Marshall Phillips (Hattiesburg; Sumrall). He reached on a hit-by-pitch before making his way around the base path and eventually scoring on a heads-up play. Phillips sprinted home off a dropped third strike, catching the defense off guard and scratching an extra run on the board. This gave the Wildcats a 6-0 advantage.
Dyess recorded two strikeouts sandwiched between two sporadic singles. He escaped, allowing one run to cross the plate.
Four runs came across for the Wildcats in the top of the fourth. Ince, who had an excellent day in the leadoff spot, reached to begin the inning with a single. Creek Robertson and Porter followed that up with their own singles as Ince scored on a Trojan error. Phillips drew a walk. Caston Thompson (Jayess; Brookhaven Academy) generated a sacrifice fly, scoring Creek Robertson. With two outs, Parker Ryan (Madison; Jackson Academy) punched one through center field on a full count, scoring two and setting the lead to a large 10-1.
Despite allowing the first two to reach in the bottom half, Dyess struck out the following batters on three straight strikes through the zone. Another walk loaded the bases before JP Robertson caught a fly ball and fired home to nail the Trojan runner out at the plate. The clutch double play kept the inning clean.
It was not long before Porter launched one. He sent a ball flying out, opposite field, over the left field wall. Two RBIs came on the long swing. Before the bottom of the fifth closed out, Katsaboulas sent a long double into the outfield, scoring two more. Ince went deep, and then Wade capped off the longballs with the fourth and final coming in the top of the seventh and extended the lead to a large 17-2.
Blake Gollott (Saucier; D’Iberville) and Eli Waters (Petal) polished off the Trojans as they scratched one run across. The score went final at 17-3 after seven innings.
Ince went 4-for-5 with three singles and a homer. He also scored four runs. Wade was 2-for-5 with a homer. He scored two runs. Katsaboulas picked up four RBIs, going 2-for-4 with a homer and a double. Porter went 2-for-5 with a homer. He totaled three RBIs and scored three runs. Ryan also added three RBIs with a double on his line.
Dyess started the game for the Wildcats and tossed five complete innings. He allowed one earned run while picking up four strikeouts. He allowed five hits with four walks sprinkled in. Dyess earned the win. Gollott threw one inning, earning one strikeout. Waters also tossed an inning, allowing two hits and picking up a strikeout.
GAME TWO
Game two picked up right where game one left off, as the Wildcats pushed three runs across early. The game began almost as efficiently as possible, with Ince taking the second pitch for a double into right field. Creek Robertson singled on a line drive into right field on his first pitch of the at-bat, scoring Ince. Porter singled as well, making it three straight. The runners advanced on a passed ball before Phillips produced a sacrifice fly, scoring Creek Robertson. Before the inning’s top half closed, Katsaboulas singled through the left side and scored Porter.
With an early 3-0 advantage, JT Schnoor was on a mission. He began the stellar outing with a hasty 1-2-3 inning, picking up his first strikeout in the process.
In the second inning, both teams exchanged a run. Ince, again, was in on the action as a single off his bat brought home JP Robertson. Schnoor allowed the first two Trojans to reach on walks before a double pushed a run across. The damage was limited, thanks to another clutch double play. This time, Katsaboulas stepped on third and converted the force out at second base to help Schnoor.
The third inning went quietly for both sides as Schnoor picked up two more strikeouts, one to open the frame and one to close it.
Logan Terry (Semmes, Ala.; East Central) muscled the only homer of the second game over the center field wall. It was a two-out shot and scored PRCC’s final run of the big day. This pushed the lead to 5-1 in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half, Schnoor went back to work. Again, beginning with a strikeout and closing with one.
In the bottom of the fifth, Schnoor allowed a couple of walks as the Trojans got one back. He ended the fifth with a punchout.
Over the next two innings, Schnoor added three strikeouts to his tally. As the pattern continued, he began the final inning with a punchout and earned the complete game with one. The game went final, with the Wildcats winning 5-2 and earning the sweep.
Porter was the Wildcat’s most efficient offensive bat in game two. He went 3-for-4 with a double. He also scored a run. Katsaboulas and Ince both had excellent all-around days. They finished game two, going 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI each. Ince added a run to his stat line.
“Ince is the same guy every at-bat. He can do so much; he’s versatile,” Avalon said. “It makes him really tough to defend against.”
Terry smacked the game’s only longball as he went 1-for-3, picking up the RBI.
Schnoor logged all seven innings for the Wildcats on the mound, conserving the bullpen for big road games ahead. He allowed one earned run and four walks and totaled 10 strikeouts.
“JT picked us up in game two. He was really good on the mound. I thought he got better as he went,” Avalon said. “We needed a complete game with short rest and playing at Meridian on Tuesday.”
UP NEXT
Pearl River continues on the road Tuesday at Meridian for a 3 p.m. doubleheader. The games will be livestreamed at MCCEagles.live.
The games can also be heard at WRJW 1320-AM, 106.9 FM and WRJWRadio.com.
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY PEARL RIVER ATHLETICS INTERN, JAXON DUNAWAY.
