Kyler King had the hot bat for Picayune on Tuesday night in Kiln, driving in four runs on three hits to lead the Maroon Tide to a 9-5 win over Region 4-6A foe Hancock.
King had a bases-clearing triple in the second inning and added an RBI single in the sixth to pace Picayune (14-7, 8-2) in the first game of a three-game series this week against the Hawks (10-9, 5-3).
The win snapped a two-game skid for Picayune, which dropped two of three games to George County and fell into a tie for the region lead. The Rebels (17-3, 8-2) opened a three-game region series at Pascagoula on Tuesday and took a 4-1 win over the Panthers.
Maroon Tide coach Evan Nichelson said it was good to get back on the winning track.
“For sure,” said Nichelson. “It always feels good to get back in the win column after a few tough losses. We are going to continue to control what we can control and see where it all falls.”
Nichelson said that it was good to see King have a big game for his team.
“He is a spark for us,” said Nichelson. “We kind of go when he goes. He scuffled some last week, so it was good to see him get going tonight at the plate.”
Hancock jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead after Jaxson Knight drove in Jude Ulrich with a hit and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Kuhn.
The Maroon Tide responded with a four-run second inning, highlighted by King’s bases-loaded triple to right that drove in three runs.
Picayune had two runs in the third. Morgan Craft led off the inning with a double to left and scored on Landon Watt’s double to right. Pinch-runner Ian Herring scored on Justin Stockstill’s hit to center to make it 6-2.
The Hawks got one run back in the home half of the third when Knight scored on a single by Kuhn. Hancock got within 6-5 in the fourth when Ulrich laid down an RBI bunt and Jeffrey Hobgood hit a two-out RBI single to score Gavin Necaise.
But Picayune put the game away on King’s RBI single in the sixth and then scored on a passed ball. Cooper Moreaux blasted a solo home run to right field in the seventh inning to cap the scoring.
King picked up the win in relief of starting pitcher Brady Robertson. King allowed two hits and struck out four over the final three and two-thirds innings.
Matthew Cuevas took the loss, giving up six runs on six hits over five innings. He struck out three and walked three.
Knight, Kuhn, Hopgood, Ulrich, Necaise, and Brandon Arcement each had a hit for the Hawks.
The two teams will continue their series Friday in Picayune at 7 p.m. and close out the three-game set on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Kiln.
