River swept in season finales

POPLARVILLE Pearl River Wildcats wrapped their 2012 baseball season with a pair of MACJC South Division losses to Southwest Mississippi here Saturday, falling 3-1 in the first game of the doubleheader before suffering a 6-5 come-from-behind setback to the visiting Bears in the 11-inning nightcap. PRCC finished its season at 24-19 overall and 10-14 in division play, while SMCC wrapped its year at 20-26 and 11-13. The two teams split in a previous meeting played April 3 in Summit with the Bears taking a 3-2 win in the first game of the twin bill, while The River were 8-2 victors in the nightcap only to later forfeit the win due to an NJCAA infraction. In Saturday first game, SMCC scored enough rules to take the win in the top of the first inning. Lead off batter Johnny McKenzie opened the game with a single to right field before German Hays reached on a fielder choice with McKenzie winding up at third off an infield error. Kade Scivicgue followed with an RBI double to right. After Wildcat starter Christian Talley, a University of Alabama transfer who prepped at Hancock County High, struck out Aaron Moore; Darron McKigney singled in Hays to make it 2-0. Alex Marshall then reached on a fielder choice before Talley retired Austin Terrell for the final out. Pearl River scored its only run of the contest in the bottom of the frame when lead off Braxton Lee of Picayune High reached on an error, stole second, moved to third off a ground out by Chase Toussaint of Petal High, and scored off a sacrifice to right center by Chase Lewallen of Sumrall High. Chad Livingston, a Southeastern Louisiana transfer who prepped at Slidell (La.) High, grounded out to short to end the inning. In the bottom of the third, the Wildcats loaded the bases but couldnt push a run home. Lead off Ryan Best of Oak Grove High was hit by a pitch and Braxton Lee and Toussaint were both walked by Bear starter Zach Rowell before Lewallen fouled out to third, Livingston reached on a fielder choice (Best thrown out at home), and Matt Linton of East Central High flew out to center to end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Pearl River left runners stranded at first and third when Livingston bashed a two-out double to left and Linton walked, but Aaron Lee of Pearl River Central High flew out to left to end the inning. Southwest scored the game final run in the top of the seventh when Hays smacked a one-out double to left, Scivicgue singled, and Aaron Moore walked to load the bases. Hays scored off a passed ball to make it 3-1 before McKigney grounded out to third. After Talley intentionally walked Marshall to reload the corners, Talley exited the mound for Scott Ashford out of Catholic High in Baton Rouge, La., who Kd Conner Goodspeed for the final out. Pearl River left runners at first and second in the bottom of the inning. All told, both teams left 10 base runners stranded in the contest. Rowell (6-3) got the win in going the distance, giving up three hits, striking out one, walking six, and hitting a batter; while Talley (4-2) got the loss in his six-and-two-thirds innings on the mound. He gave up eight hits, struck out four, walked three, and hit a batter; while Ashford recorded a strike out. Hays paced the Bears eight-hit effort with a double and a single, while Marshal and Scivicgue (one RBI) had two base hits each. McKenzie and McKigney (one RBI) both had singles. Livingston doubled for the Wildcats, while Best and Krisjohn Wilkerson out of St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis had base hits. Lewallen had an RBI for Pearl River. Each team committed one error in the game. In the nightcap game, PRCC wound up using eight pitchers in the loss before SMCC scored the game-winning run in the top of the 11th. After a scoreless first, the Bears went up 1-0 in the top of the second when lead off batter McKigney was hit by a pitch, moved to second off Marshall sacrifice bunt, and scored off Goodspeed line-drive single to center before Luke Gipson hit into a double play for the final outs. Pearl River answered with two in the bottom of the frame. Lead off Livingston was hit by a pitch, Lewallen outran a bunt for a base hit, and courtesy runner Kollin Cannon out of St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis scored off Linton line-drive single to right to tie it up. Lewallen scored to take a one-run lead when Braxton Lee singled. Designated hitter Forrest Dungan of Columbia High walked to load the bases before Best reached on a fielder choice and DaVonte Linear of Wayne County High hit into a double play to end the inning. The Wildcats padded their lead in the bottom of the third when Aaron Lee led off with a single to right, Toussaint was hit by a pitch, and Livingston walked to load the bases. That prompted the mound exit for starter Trey Setzer for Clint McDaniel who immediately gave up back-to-back unearned runs off Lewallen and Linton outfield sacrifices before retiring Braxton Lee to end the inning. PRCC pumped its lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Dungan led off with an up-the-middle single only to be thrown out at second on an attempted steal. Marcus Lawton Jr. of Biloxi High then doubled down the third-base line before Linear reached on an error. With runners at first and third, Lawton scored off a throwing error before Aaron Lee fouled out and Toussaint struck out to end the inning. Southwest responded with three runs in the top of the fifth. Gipson led off with a base hit, Chance Schmidt single up the middle an out later, and Hays singled through third an out later to load the bases before Scivicgue cracked a two-run single to make it 5-3. McKigney then smacked an RBI double to left to cut The River lead to one, but Hays was nailed at home for the final out. After a scoreless sixth, the Bears tied it up in the seventh. Schmidt led off with an up-the-middle single before McKenzie and Hays both outran bunts for base hits to load the bases. Scivicgue drove in Schmidt when he reached on a fielder choice and Hays was nailed at home for the second out. After Marshall was hit by a pitch to reload the corners, Goodspeed hit into a force out. Aaron Lee drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the frame, stole second, but Toussaint struck out and Livingston fouled out to send things into extra innings. SMCC left the bases loaded in the top of the eighth when Gipson led off with a single, Jake Martin was hit by a pitch, and both runners moved to second and third off Schmidt sac bunt. McKenzie was intentionally walked to load the bases before Hays reached on a fielder choice and Gipson was thrown out at home. Scivicgue struck out to squash the threat. PRCC loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame. Lewallen led off with a single to left only to be thrown out attempting to stretch his belt into a double before Linton singled, Aaron Lee walked, and Lawton was intentionally walked an out later. Linear then struck out to end the inning. Southwest again loaded the corners in the top of the ninth when McKigney led off with a base hit and wound up at third on a wild pick off throw to first. After Terrell flew out to center, Goodspeed was intentionally walked before Gipson struck out, Martin walked to put three on, but Schmidt hit into a force out at second. Toussaint cracked a one-out double to left in the bottom of the frame before Lewallen was intentionally walked an out later only to see Linton foul out to end the inning. The Bears left runners at second and third in the top of the 10th when Hays reached on a one-out error and Scivicgue walked. The runners advanced on a passed ball before McKigney struck out and Terrell flew to left for the final out. After Pearl River went three up, three down in the bottom of the inning, Southwest scored the game-winning run in the top of the 11th. Gipson smacked a one-out double down the third-base line and scored an out later when Schmidt singled. The Wildcats put two one in the bottom of the frame when Toussaint cracked a two-out single and Livingston walked, but Lewallen hit into a force out at second to end the game. Scivicgue (2-5) got the win after relieving in the seventh, giving up three hits, striking out four, and walking four. Starter Setzer went two innings, giving up four hits, striking out one, walking two, and hitting to batters; while McDaniel relieved in the third, pitching one-and-two-thirds, giving up two hits. Jared Fioito relieved in the fourth, going two-and-two-thirds, giving up three hits, striking out four, and walking one. Martin Anderson (1-1) out of Cedar Creek High in Caloun, La., got the loss after relieving in the eighth. He gave up two hits, struck out four, and walked four; while starter Ryan Deemes out of Holy Cross High in Chalmette, La., went two innings, giving up a hit and hitting a batter. Roy Gasaway Jr. of Pascagoula High relieved in the third and hit one batter, while Taylor Byrd, a Nicholls State (La.) signee who prepped at Petal High, pitched the fourth; Anthony Lusco of Bay High the fifth, giving up five hits; Bradley Rayborn of Purvis High the sixth, giving up a hit and striking out one; Tyler Jordan of Bay High faced three batters in the seventh and gave up three hits,, and Ashford also pitched in the seventh, giving up two hits and hitting two batters. McKigney paced the Bears 14-hit effort with a double and two singles (one RBI), while Schmidt had three base hits (one RBI), Gipson doubled and singled, Hays had two base hits, and Goodspeed (one RBI), Marshall, McKenzie, and Scivicgue (three RBIs) all had singles. Pearl River finished with 11 hits, led by Lawton with two doubles, while Toussaint doubled and singled, and Austin Carter of Sumrall High, Dungan, Aaron Lee, Braxton Lee (one RBI), Lewallen, Linton (two RBIs), and Livingston all had base hits. Each team committed three errors in the contest.

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