The Biloxi Indians completed their sweep of the D’Iberville Warriors on Saturday to remain in the Region 4-7A playoff hunt.
The Indians jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead and then held off a Warriors rally to claim an 8-5 win in D’Iberville. Biloxi (12-9, 4-5) took the first two games of the series 13-1 and 11-1 over D’Iberville (5-14, 1-8).
Biloxi coach Hawtin Buchanan was pleased with his team taking a three-game sweep to keep the Indians’ playoff aspirations alive.
“The unique thing about playing a Game 3 in a division series is that no matter what, you’re playing for something on that Saturday,” said Buchanan. “Whether it’s trying to win a series or a series is tied 1-1 or going for a sweep, which in a 15-game division schedule all the games count, or if down 0-2, you’re trying to salvage one. This was one of those gut-check days.”
Buchanan gave the Warriors credit for battling throughout. It was a critical region contest for the Indians, and it was not an easy one.
“Basically, who can kind of weather the punches because D’Iberville came out and they played well,” Buchanan said. “They came out swinging it and when we were up a little bit late, they found some barrels and scored some runs and made it close. In our division, where anybody can beat anybody, you’ve got to be locked in on Saturday.”
Will Parker had an RBI on a sacrifice fly while Jackson Irvin and Wyatt Pyron both had run-scoring singles to put the Indians up 3-0 in the first inning.
D’Iberville answered with two runs in the home half of the first as Dalton Davis belted an RBI double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cannan West.
But the Indians added four runs in the fourth to push their lead to 7-2, highlighted by Logan Fontenelle blasting a three-run home run. Forrest Wold had an RBI single in the fourth.
“That two-out home run was the difference,” said Buchanan. “That was a big blow and a really clutch at-bat for Logan.”
But the Warriors got their bats going in the sixth. Caleb West and Houston Holmes both had RBI singles and D’Iberville added a run on a Biloxi error to make it 7-5. But that was as close as the Warriors would get.
Warriors coach Brent Martin was pleased with the way his team hung with the Indians.
“In a Game 3, there’s going to be a lot of runs scored,” Martin said. “And we played well. Credit to our guys, there’s no quit in them. We gave it all we had.”
The Indians added an insurance run in the seventh on a fielder’s choice for an 8-5 lead.
Tristain Haynes, Connor Lofton, Irvin, and Fontanelle each had two hits to lead the 12-hit attack for the Indians.
Canone West had a couple of RBIs for the Warriors while Caleb West and Carter Naron both had two hits.
Shawn Gollott was the winning pitcher, going five-plus innings and allowing five runs on six hits. Pyron closed out the game.
The Indians will continue region action Monday at home when they face St. Martin in the first of three games in what will likely decide the fourth playoff berth in 4-7A. The Yellow Jackets won 8-7 Saturday to take two of three in their series against the Gulfport Admirals.
D’Iberville will play at Ocean Springs on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game region series.
