Rivals Picayune and Pearl River Central will need a third game to decide their exciting Class 6A baseball playoff series.
The Maroon Tide’s Jamie Lumpkin smashed a walk-off RBI double to center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift Picayune (22-8) to a thrilling 5-4 victory Saturday night at Kent Kirkland Field to even the best-of-three series at 1-1.
The Blue Devils (23-7) took the series opener 4-3 on Friday in Carriere.
Game Three will be played on Monday at 7 p.m. in Carriere.
With the game tied at 4-4 in the Picayune seventh, Justin Stockstill drew a walk and Kyler King followed with a one-out walk. Lumpkin then blasted a deep fly ball to center that hit the wall and Stockstill scored from second base with the winning run.
Picayune coach Evan Nichelson was proud of the way his team bounced back in a must-win game.
“Our kids battled tonight to get back even,” said Nichelson. “Our seniors led tonight. I’m proud of the fight they showed.”
King tripled in the first inning and scored on Lumpkin’s sacrifice fly to put the Tide on the board first.
Landon Franklin made it 2-0 Picayune with a solo homer to left.
The Blue Devils rallied in the third inning, capitalizing on a pair of Picayune errors to take a 3-2 lead that was highlighted by Riley Wilson’s RBI single. But Picayune took the lead back in the fourth inning on Parker Helton’s two-run double.
PRC tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth inning on Sam Tumminello’s RBI groundout.
Landon Watts earned the win in relief, allowing one run on two hits over four innings while striking out three and walking one. Left-hander Brady Robertson began the game on the mound, allowing three runs on two hits while striking out two and walking two.
King, Helton, Lumpkin, Franklin, and Morgan Craft each had a hit for the Tide.
Conner Dyess took the loss in relief. PRC pitching allowed six walks.
Wilson, JJ Morreale, Brayden Lee, and Isaias Ryan each had a hit for the Blue Devils while Wilson and Tumminello both drove in a run.
With Game One tied at 3-3 in the fifth inning, Kendall Morrison drilled an RBI double to put PRC on top and the Blue Devils held on for the win.
Picayune jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead on an error and Robertson’s two-run single.
The Blue Devils tied the game in the third inning on a wild pitch and Wilson’s RBI single.
Konnor Cazenave picked up the win in relief, allowing no runs and no hits over four innings while striking out three and walking two.
Dyess, Wilson, Tumminello, Morreale, Morrison, and Blake Gill each had a hit for the Blue Devils while Wilson and Morrison both drove in a run.
Tanner Busby suffered the loss, giving up four runs on five hits over four-plus innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
King had two hits to pace Picayune while Robertson drove in a pair of runs.
Nichelson is expecting another tight game in the winner-take-all battle on Monday.
“It’s a spot they have been in before,” said Nichelson of his team. “Back against the wall. We just have to eliminate the mistakes and grind out at-bats and see where we are at the end of this thing. We are just going to continue to get after it. Every team left is sound and going to play hard.”
The winner of the series will face the winner of the George County-West Jones series.
