FLOWOOD — For six and a half innings, it seemed Presbyterian Christian would pull off an unlikely upset over favored Jackson Prep. Instead, the Patriots rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off PCS 3-2 in Game 1 of the MAIS Class 6A State Championship series at Patriot Field on Tuesday night.
"We got some big two-out hits that got us the two runs, but the bottom line is we didn't finish the game," said PCS coach Jarrett Hoffpauir. "Tough breaks in the seventh, but that's baseball. Last week, we were in the same situation. We lost Game 1 and had our back against the walls, so we're not going to panic and be ready to play tomorrow."
The Bobcats scored the game's first run to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as Turner Vance delivered an RBI single to left.
For five straight innings, PCS' pitchers Tyner Flynt and Seth Hataway kept Jackson Prep scoreless and surrendered just one hit. In the bottom of the first, Flynt walked the first two batters of the game but then responded by striking out the next three batters. The Patriots' lone hit of that span came in the third inning, but Flynt induced a ground out and a double play to end the threat before Hataway took over.
Jackson Prep tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth as Konnor Griffin, who reached on an infield single, scored on a fielder's choice.
PCS (23-10) answered to regain the lead at 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning as Jacob Baugh hit a RBI single to center.
However, in the bottom of the seventh, Cole Gideon, who had a potential three-run home run in the first inning ruled foul by the home plate umpire, led the inning off with a double. Matthew McKinley followed with a single to left. Gardner Young walked to load the bases with no outs. Gideon scored on a fielder's choice to tie the game, and pinch-runner Nolan Canoy scored the game-winning on a wild pitch.
"I think after what happened in the first inning, whether the ball was fair or foul, we had to overcome it, and we had to believe one at-bat at a time," said Jackson Prep coach Brent Heavener. "We were able to force some good at-bats, put some pressure on them, and force them to make a mistake, and it worked out."
Reid Vineyard (2-0) got the win in relief on the mound for Prep. The Patriots (38-3) only managed four hits for the game.
"In a championship game, things get a little more intense," Heavener said. "We talked about getting guys on base and trying to force them to make a mistake and were able to do that with the leadoff double, the hit by McKinley, and were able to piece it together, and it was able to pay off for us. Getting Game 1 is big, but I can't say enough about PCS of how hard they played and were competitive. It's going to be a battle tomorrow."
Jackson Prep is now one win away from its seventh consecutive state title.
Game 2 of the series will be Wednesday at PCS at 6 p.m.
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