Vancleave is once again a state champion after the Bulldogs rolled to a 6-1 win over Lafayette in a decisive Game Three to claim the Class 5A baseball title on Saturday night at Trustmark Park in Pearl.
It was the first state baseball crown for Vancleave (29-8) since 2018.
“I have no words, but seeing the guys dogpile is what it’s all about,” sixth-year coach Justin Edwards told 228 Sports reporter Makenzie Knight. “I cannot be more proud of these guys. They earned every bit of it.”
After dropping the series opener 8-7 in 12 innings on Wednesday, the Bulldogs battled back to win the next two games. Vancleave evened the series on Friday night with a 2-1 victory that set up the winner-take-all game on Saturday.
Strong pitching by seniors Tyler West and Levi Tapp proved critical in Vancleave claiming the title. West went the distance in Friday’s victory and Tapp also tossed a complete game on Saturday.
While West, who was named the series MVP, struck out 11 batters on Friday, Tapp scattered four hits and fanned five.
“It’s everything I expected,” West said of the team winning the title. “There’s no better feeling.”
“This is so special,” said Tapp. “The boys and me have been dreaming about this for as long as we can remember and just to come out here and to do it, it doesn’t get any better.”
Vancleave struck first when Kyle Capers, who reached on a fielder’s choice, scored on a double by Aidan Tapp in the second inning.
Hunter Parker tripled to left field in the third and West doubled to drive him in with the second run for the Bulldogs. Layton Eder then ripped an RBI single to left to score West and make it 3-0.
In the fourth inning, Lafayette (28-9) loaded the bases when Balin Bishop walked and Brody Breithaupt and Connor Counts both singled. Bishop scored on a wild pitch, but Levi Tapp struck out two batters and induced a pop-out to get out of the jam.
Vancleave got the run back in the fifth when Parker and West hit back-to-back doubles to put the Bulldogs up 4-1.
Max Bates and Aidan Tapp singled to start the sixth inning before Tanner Willis laid down a squeeze bunt to score Bates from third base.
In the seventh inning, the Bulldogs added an insurance run when Harper walked and pinch-runner Capers scored on a hit by Bates to make it a 6-1 game.
Bates, Parker, West, and Aidan Tapp each had two hits to lead Vancleave’s 10-hit attack.
Lafayette, seeking its first state baseball title since 2006, managed just four hits.
Jack East took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in the first three innings.
Edwards had a feeling after last year’s tough South State series loss to West Jones that this year’s Bulldogs could be very special.
“This is a gritty group. They’re tough,” said Edwards. “We didn’t graduate anybody off last year’s team and started saying that we’ve got a shot.
“These seven seniors that I’m going to have to say goodbye to will probably be the toughest goodbyes I will ever have to make.”
