Wildcats split with Wolfpack

WESSON Pearl River Wildcats split with Copiah-Lincoln Wolfpack in MACJC South Division baseball action here Wednesday at Sullivan Field, taking an 11-8 victory in the first game of the doubleheader before falling 6-5 in the nightcap. PRCC is now 18-10 overall and 3-5 in division play, while CLCC is 14-11 and 2-8. In the opening game, the visiting Wildcats opened the game with a two-run homer by Chad Livingston, a Southeastern Louisiana transfer who prepped at Slidell (La.) High, before padding their lead to 4-0 with two more funs in the top of the fifth. Co-Lin cut The River lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the frame before the Wildcats bombarded the Wolfpack with seven in the top of the seventh to make it 11-2 heading into the final inning. After PRCC went scoreless in the top of the seventh, resilient CLCC managed six in the bottom of the frame four of which came off Zac Ferguson grand slam home run but came up four runs shy of victory. Starter Taylor Byrd (4-2) of Petal High got the win in his six innings on the mound, while Roy Gasaway Jr. of Pascagoula High pitched two-thirds of the seventh and Christian Talley, a University of Alabama transfer who prepped at Hancock County High, relieved to record the game-ending out. Wolfpack starter Tyler Copeland (2-2) of the loss in his six innings of action, while reliever Tyler Case pitched the seventh. Pearl River finished with 11 hits, led by Livingston homer, double, and single; while Aaron Lee of Pearl River Central High, Chase Lewallen of Sumrall High, and Chase Toussaint of Petal High had two base hits each. Ryan Best of Oak Grove High and Matt Linton of East Central High both singled. Ferguson and Will Gatlin both homered and doubled to pace Co-Lin eight-hit effort, while Bryce Guess had two doubles and Noel Santos and Gabe Wilson each had a base hit. Each team committed one error in the contest. In the nightcap, CLCC went up 4-0 in the bottom of the opening inning including a three-run homer by Willie Buckley before PRCC added its first run of the contest in the top of the second. The Wolves made it 5-1 in the bottom of the frame before the Wildcats pulled to within one with a three-run effort in the fourth. After a scoreless fifth, Co-Lin added an insurance solo run in the bottom of the sixth; while Pearl River scored one more in the top of the final frame only to come up two runs shy of a sweep. Case (1-0) got the win after relieving starter Ryan Goddard in the fourth. Case pitched four-and-two-thirds, while Goddard went three-and-a-third. Wildcat starter Brandon Pennington (4-2) picked up his second straight loss in his five innings on the mound, while Talley relieved in the sixth. Both teams finished the game with 12 hits with Aaron Lee leading The River with a double and two singles. Linton homered and singled, Livingston doubled and singled, and Best, Forrest Dungan of Columbia High, Braxton Lee of Picayune High, Krisjohn Wilkerson out of St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis, and Clint Willoughby of Clinton High all had base hits. Mitch Little had two doubles and a single for the Wolfpack, while Buckley homered and singled. Santos and Wilson had two base hits each, Jarvis Wilbert doubled, and Ferguson and Gatlin both singled. Co-Lin committed two errors in the contest to Pearl River one. The two teams eye a South Division rematch Saturday, April 21 with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Wildcat Stadium in Poplarville. PRCC returns to action Saturday when it hosts division rival East Central in Poplarville for a 1 p.m. doubleheader before hitting the road for Summit Tuesday for a division twin bill with host Southwest Mississippi beginning at 3 p.m.