The champion in Region 8-6A will be decided Monday night.
Long-time arch-rivals Biloxi and Gulfport are tied atop the league standings each at 6-2 going into their respective region finales. Both teams will be on the road Monday night, as the Indians head to Lyman to face home-standing Harrison Central while the Admirals head to Hancock to face the Hawks in the Kiln.
On Friday night, in game two of each series, both the Admirals and Indians celebrated “Senior Night” Gulfport easily handled Hancock 11-0 while Biloxi nipped the Red Rebels 2-1 putting both in the first-place deadlock. Harrison Central has already clinched the third and final seed for playoff purposes in Region 8-6A.
In Gulfport, at Herbert Wilson Field, the Admirals jumped out to a quick 3-0 after the first frame and basically never looked back in cruising to the win in five innings.
Gulfport added two more runs in the fourth before ending the game in the bottom of the fifth with six more runs as Ole Miss signee Ethan Surowiec ended the game with a walk-off two-run homer to end the contest on the mercy rule.
Nicholas Williams also smacked a two-run round-tripper in the win for GHS, while Surowiec additionally had a two-run double. Tulane signee Ethan Gardner chipped in a pair of doubles and drove in a run in the winning 10-hit attack, and Braxton Williams added two hits as well.
Nicholas Williams went the five frame distance on the hill for GHS to pick up the win, scattering two hits and striking out nine while walking just one.
Matthew Cuevas took the loss for the Hawks.
Meanwhile, at the same time, at The Biloxi Sports Complex, the Indians slipped past HCHS 2-1 as Biloxi’s Bryson Pisarich and Hancock’s Daniel Ruiz locked up in a pitchers duel.
Both hurlers tossed solid complete game performances, as Pisarich got the win allowing five hits and the one run while striking out seven and walking three. Ruiz suffered the tough-luck loss as he gave up only four hits and both runs while striking out three and walking three as well.
Pisarich and his teammates gave the pitcher all the support he would need scoring two runs in the bottom of the second stanza, as Pisarich hammered a solo home run and Brodie Pearson drove in a run as well for a 2-0 lead. Logan Fontenelle had a game-high two hits and added a double to the winning attack for BHS as well.
The Red Rebels scored their lone run in the top of the when Ruiz came through with an RBI-single. Gabe Colon added a double for the red Rebels.
Although Biloxi and Gulfport are tied for the top spot in the region, the Admirals can only earn the top seed with a win combined with an Indian loss Monday night. Biloxi is the top seed with a win or a GHS loss, thanks to the Indians taking two out of three games in that series several weeks back.
