Wildcats split with Warriors

DECATUR Pearl River split with East Central in MACJC South Division baseball action here Wednesday at the Clark-Gay Memorial Complex, falling 10-7 in the first game before bouncing back with a lopsided 15-6 victory in the nightcap game.With one doubleheader remaining in the 2012 season, the Wildcats are now 24-17 overall and 10-12 in division play; while the host Warriors are 25-19 and 12-10. PRCC wraps its regular season Saturday when it hosts South Division rival Southwest Mississippi in a 1 p.m. twin bill in Wildcat Stadium.In Wednesday first game, ECCC went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first when lead off Kyle Henson outran a grounder to short for a base hits before Kalik May reached on a fielder choice. After stealing second and winding up at third off an errant throw, May scored off Tim Anderson base hit. An out later, Fred Hampton was belted by a pitch by starter Ryan Deemes out of Holy Cross High in Chalmette, La., before Rubert Alcantara flew out to right field to end the inning.After Warrior starter Fernando Gonzales struck out two of the three batters he faced in the top of the second, East Central padded its lead in the bottom of the frame.Xzavier Franklin led off with a base hit, David McAdory was hit by a Deemes pitch, and Terrance Steele followed with a two-run single to make it 3-0. Deemes retired three straight for the final outs.Pearl River loaded the bases in the top of the third off a one-out walk by Clint Willoughby of Clinton High, a two-out walk by Braxton Lee of Picayune High, and Chase Toussaint of Petal High reaching on an error; but Chase Lewallen of Sumrall High hit into a force at second for the final out.The Wildcats rebounded with six runs in the top of the fourth. Lead off batters Chad Livingston, a Southeastern Louisiana transfer who prepped at Slidell (La.) High, and Matt Linton of East Central High reached on back-to-back Warrior errors; then Krisjohn Wilkerson out of St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis outran a bunt for a base hit to load the bases. A single to right by Aaron Lee of Pearl River Central High and sacrifice fly by Willoughby scored the first two runs before Ryan Best of Oak Grove High reached on a fielder choice and courtesy runner DaVonte Linear of Wayne County High was nailed at third. After Braxton Lee was hit by a pitch to reload the corners, Toussaint belted an RBI single to knot things at 3-3. Lewallen followed with a three-run double down the third base line for a 6-3 lead before Livingston struck out.The Warriors tied it up in the bottom of the inning when Franklin led off with a single to center, stole second, and scored when Steele singled and wound up at third off a throwing error. Henson followed with an RBI single to right, moved to second off May sac bunt, and scored off Anderson base hit to make it 6-6.That prompted the mound exit of Deemes for Anthony Lusco of Bay High, who retired Ricardo Velez to end the inning.Pearl River grabbed a one-run lead in the top of the fifth when Aaron Lee drew a two-out walk, Willoughby was hit by a pitch, and Best followed with an RBI single to left with Willoughby getting nailed at third for the final out.In the bottom of the sixth, ECCC took the lead for good when David McAdory led off with a home run over the left field wall and Steele singled to center before Henson fouled out. After May singled, Christian Talley, a University of Alabama transfer who prepped at Hancock County High, relieved Lusco. He immediately gave up an RBI single to center, then intentionally walked Velez to load the bases and Hampton followed with a two-run, line drive single to center to make it 10-7 before Alcantara popped to second to end the inning.Aaron Lee drew a two-out base on balls in the top of the seventh, but Gonzales struck out Willoughby to end the game.Gonzales (6-4) got the win in going the distance, giving up six hits, striking out seven, walking four, and hitting three batters; while Deemes (3-1) got the loss in his three-and-two-thirds innings on the mound. He gave up eight hits, struck out two, and walked two; while Lucso relieved for one-and-two-thirds, giving up three hits. Talley gave up two hits and a walk.Lewallen paced the Wildcats at the plate with a three-run double, while Best (one RBI), Aaron Lee (one RBI), Braxton Lee, Toussaint (one RBI), and Wilkerson all had base hits.Anderson led the Warriors 12-hit effort with three singles (three RBIs), while Franklin, Hampton (one RBI), Henson (one RBI), and Steele (three RBIs) had two base hits a piece. McAdory homered (one RBI), while May singled.East Central committed three errors in the game to Pearl River one.In the nightcap game, the Wildcats left runners stranded at second and third in the first. Braxton Lee and Toussaint led off with walks and advanced to second and third off Lewallen sacrifice bunt before Livingston fouled out and ECCC starter Severino Signa Kd Linton for the final out.River starter Taylor Byrd, a Nicholls State (La.) signee out of Petal High had a brief stay on the mound in the bottom of the frame when East Central bombarded his likes with five runs off five hits and a hit batter. Henson and May led off with base hits before Velez was belted by a pitch an out later to load the bases. Hampton followed with a two-run double to center before Alcantara pushed two more home with a hard-hit single through third base. After Franklin RBI double to center for the fifth run, Cody Conkle of Petal High relieved Byrd. He immediately gave up a base hit to McAdory before striking out Steele to end the inning.Pearl River cut the lead to one in the top of the second when Aaron Lee led off with a line-drive single to left, Wilkerson walked, and Austin Carter of Sumrall High outran a bunt for a base hit to load the bases. After Best popped out to first, Braxton Lee reached on a fielder choice and Toussaint followed with a grand slam homer out of right center field to make it 5-4.ECCC padded its lead in the bottom of the third. Hampton drew a one-out walk, Alcantara singled to right, and the duo advanced to second and third via a double steal. Hampton scored off Franklin ground out to short to make it 6-4 before Conkle struck out McAdory to end the inning.PRCC tied it up in the top of the fourth when Best cracked a one-out single, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored off Braxton Lee ensuing up-the-middle base hit. After Toussaint grounded out to the mound, Lewallen was hit by a pitch and Braxton Lee scored off Livingston single to right to make it 6-6.Signa was relieved by Jordan Mixon at that point, who retired Linton to end the inning.Carter two-out solo homer in the top of the fifth gave Pearl River the lead for good. Best followed with a single to left before Braxton Lee grounded to short for the final out.ECCC left runners at first and second off a two-out single by Alcantara and a hit batter, but McAdory hit into a force out.In the top of the sixth, Livingston belted a two-out, up-the-middle single; stole second and third, and scored off Linton base hit to left to make it 8-6. Mixon left the mound for Brock Ward at that point and Aaron Lee grounded to the pitcher for the final out.With one out in the bottom of the frame, Conkle belted Hampton with a pitch and was relieved by Scott Ashford out of Catholic High in Baton Rouge, La. After May reached on a fielder choice, Anderson grounded to first to end the inning.Eleven River batters went the plate in the top of the seventh against three different East Central pitchers to produce a seven-run barrage by the Wildcats.Pinch hitter Forrest Dungan of Columbia High led off with a line-drive single to center before Carter was hit by a pitch. The base runners moved to second and third off a passed ball before Best reached on a fielder choice with Dungan getting nailed at home. With runners at first and third, Braxton Lee cracked an RBI single through short before Toussaint walked to load the bases.Coy Sorenson relieved Ward at that point and he immediately pushed PRCC 10th run home with a Lewallen base on balls and Livingston followed with a three-run double to make it 13-6. Lefty Marc Cruso then took over the mound, walking Aaron Lee after Linton flew out to center and Dungan followed with a two-run triple to left in his second plate appearance of the inning. Carter grounded to second for the final out.The Warriors loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning off a Hampton one-out single, a Alcantara double, and a walk, but McAdory hit into a double play to end the game.Conkle (2-0) got the win in his four-and-two-thirds innings of relief, giving up three hits, striking out three, walking two, and hitting two batters; while Byrd gave up five hits and hit a batter in his one-third inning on the mound. Ashford gave up two hits, struck out one, and walked one.Mixon (2-6) got the loss after relieving for two frames in the fourth. He gave up four hits and struck out one, while starter Signa went two-and-two-third, gave up six hits, struck out three, walked four, and hit a batter. Ward pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up two hits, walking one, and hitting a batter; Sorenson faced two batters in the seventh, giving up a hit and a walk; and Cruso gave up a hit and a walk.Livingston paced the Wildcats 14-hit attack with a double and two singles (four RBIs), while Carter homered and singled (one RBI). Dungan tripled and singled (two RBIs), Best and Braxton Lee (two RBIs) had two base hits each, Toussaint homered (four RBIs), and Aaron Lee and Linton (one RBI) both singled. Lewallen had an RBI for PRCC.Alcantara led all batters in the contest with a double and three singles (two RBIs), while Hampton doubled and singled (two RBIs), Franklin doubled (one RBI), and Henson, May, and McAdory all had base hits.Pearl River committed one error in the game, while East Central played error free.The Wildcats and Warriors split in a previous division doubleheader played March 31 in Poplarville. PRCC won the first game 12-2 (5 innings) before losing to ECCC 9-7 in the nightcap game.

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