POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Fans of starting pitching were in for a treat Tuesday afternoon inside Dub Herring Park as No. 5 Pearl River’s starters were an electric factory against Hinds. The Wildcats took game one 9-2 and earned a 6-1 victory in game two for the sweep. Thomas Crabtree (Collierville, Tenn.) carried a perfect game into the eighth inning in game one, and JP Robertson (Madison; Germantown) allowed one run over six innings in game two.
The Wildcats have now won their last 19 games and are the only unbeaten team in MACCC play.
“That’s exactly what you want from your starting pitchers,” head coach Michael Avalon said. “I don’t know many guys who have had a chance to do what Thomas did today. He was incredible. JP was really good in game two. He’s often got the tough assignment of being the starter after everyone is sped up. He gets after it. Those were two really good appearances today.”
GAME ONE
With its freshman right-hander Crabtree on the mound in the first game of the day, the Wildcats (32-5 overall; 12-0 MACCC) were in control right from the start. The first two innings each saw him rack up two strikeouts and then get aided by Jonah Katsaboulas (Brandon) web gems at third base. The reigning MACCC Pitcher of the Week then dazzled for the next five innings, keeping the Eagles (15-20; 3-7) out of the hits, runs and walks column to sit in perfect-game territory heading into the eighth inning.
The Wildcat offense gave him four runs of insurance in the third. Bryce Fowler (Madison; Germantown) and Creek Robertson (Oxford; Madison Central) walked to open the inning before four consecutive singles from Hollis Porter (Hurley; East Central), Jeff Ince (Brandon; Jackson Prep), Marshall Phillips (Hattiesburg; Sumrall) and Katsaboulas drove in four runs, 4-0.
Porter, the reigning MACCC Player of the Week, proved why he won the award in the fifth inning. After fouling off the first pitch thrown to him, he found his timing and bashed his NJCAA-leading 15th home run of the year deep over the right field wall, 5-0.
Two more scored in the sixth, again off the bat of Porter. He put a charge into the ball and sent it to the warning track. The Hinds right fielder misread the fly ball and let it fall to the ground for two runs, 7-0.
Fowler picked up an RBI the tough way in the seventh inning, getting plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in a run, 8-0.
With his perfect game still intact, Crabtree headed back out to the mound in the eighth with 93 pitches. He worked into a 2-1 count, and then a ball was hit back up in the middle. The shortstop, Creek Robertson, made an incredible effort to stop the ball, but it resulted in an infield single. Avalon opted to take the right-hander out of the game, and he exited to a standing ovation from the Wildcat faithful.
Pearl River added a run in the eighth off a Katsaboulas single into left field to extend the advantage to 9-0. HCC added two runs in the top of the ninth but the Wildcats held on to win the game, 9-2.
Crabtree struck out a career-high 13 batters in his seven innings of work. He didn’t allow runs or walks and gave up just one hit. Eli Waters (Petal) threw an inning in relief, allowing one hit and one walk. Blake Gollott (Saucier; D’Iberville), Reed McCrillis (Madison; Madison Central) and AJ Hansen (Mobile, Ala.; McGill-Toolen) combined to throw the final inning of the game.
Porter finished 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs. Katsaboulas went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Alex Wade (Decatur, Ala.; Madison Academy) was also 2-for-4 in the game.
GAME TWO
As if the pitching in game one wasn’t good enough, JP Robertson put on another show on the mound in the nightcap, scattering six hits and one walk to allow just one run. He picked up five punchouts.
PRCC picked up its first run of the game in the very first inning. Fowler dropped a double down the left field line and moved to third on a flyout. Porter brought him across the plate with a sacrifice fly.
Noise was made in the fourth inning by the Wildcats. Caleb Dyess (Carriere; Pearl River Central) reached on an error to open the inning, and Logan Terry (Semmes, Ala.; East Central) walked to follow. Fowler singled into right field to load up the bases. Creek Robertson then stepped to the dish and ripped an RBI single into left field. Porter then picked up RBIs two and three of the game by ripping a two-run single into the outfield. Ince picked up the final RBI of the frame with a sacrifice fly into center field, 5-1.
JP Robertson was in cruise control until the sixth inning when Hinds finally got to him, tucking a home run down the right field line and just over the wall, 5-1.
The Wildcats promptly matched the run as Phillips picked up a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Katsaboulas, 6-1.
Austin Tommasini (Madison; Madison Central) took over on the mound in the seventh and quickly delivered a 1-2-3 to secure the victory.
Creek Robertson and Fowler were the only Wildcats to record multiple hits in the game. Porter finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
JP Robertson threw six innings of one-run baseball, allowing six hits and one walk. He struck out five. Tommasini struck out one in his lone inning of work.
NEXT UP
Pearl River hits the road Friday for a 2/5 p.m. doubleheader at Holmes. The games will be livestreamed at HolmesCCMedia.com. Games can also be heard at WRJW 1320-AM, 106.9 FM and WRJWRadio.com.
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