SUMRALL – Postseason baseball takes on a whole different meaning in Sumrall.
The Bobcats are playing up to the expectations as they have now won 14 of their last 15 games, including the last nine in a row, which included a dominant 10-0 run-rule win over Poplarville to advance Sumrall to the third round of the Class 4A playoffs.
“Postseason time is a different monster anyway,” Sumrall coach Andy Davis said. “With us having pressure on us last year with going to state and playing Purvis and things like that – heart rate is a big thing. As long as we keep our heart rate down and do what we are supposed to do, then it’s just another game.”
Prior to this dominant run, Sumrall (23-7) was three games above .500 in early March. However, with the onset of the postseason, the Bobcats have been nothing short of dominant, as they have outscored Poplarville and Raymond 48-2.
“I think we have just really gelled as a team,” said senior Leo Odom. “We lost a couple of key players last year. It took some of the guys with less experience some time to get used to things, and ever since then we’ve been rolling.”
Odom carried Sumrall to the five-inning run-rule victory. On the mound, the Ole Miss commit allowed just one hit in his complete game outing while driving in four runs in the Saturday night victory.
“I felt good, and I was landing a ton of first-pitch strikes, which is important,” Odom said. “I was making them swing the bat, and my defense helped me out a lot tonight.”
Odom’s one-hitter shutout featured him striking out three batters and not giving up a walk. Unlike Sumrall, the Hornets struggled to throw strikes as they walked 10 batters.
“Baseball comes down to pitching and throwing strikes,” Davis said. “Drew (Davis) had a good game last night, and some guys came in relief and had a good game. Leo probably pitched the best game he has pitched all year. It’s just all about throwing strikes. We have a great pitching staff. This is our time of the year, and we know it means a lot
“They had trouble with command issues. The hits we got were big hits. They were RBI-producing hits.”
Poplarville (20-10) walked two leadoff batters in the first inning, which set up an RBI single for Odom and an RBI sac fly for Braelyn Harrison. Later in the third, the Hornets gave up and hit a batter, which Odom capitalized on after he hit a 3-run homer over the center field wall
In the fourth inning, Cadyn Williamson delivered a two-run single in the fourth with Drew Davis later delivering a 2-run double in the fifth, which set up Landon Hawkins drawing a game-ending RBI walk.
“The crowds start getting big, especially in the third and fourth rounds and South State really,” Odom said. “But the crowds get big, and the team is more fired up. The dugout is more fired up all game. People play with more passion because it can always be the last game at this point.”
Sumrall will face either Northeast Jones or Forrest County AHS in the third round of the Class 4A playoffs.
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