CLARKSDALE, Miss. — The No. 2 Pearl River baseball team unleashed an offensive onslaught Saturday afternoon, piling up 27 runs on 17 extra-base hits to sweep Coahoma. The Wildcats claimed game one 15-8 before run-ruling the Tigers 12-1 in game two.
"We scored a bunch of runs today and hit a lot of balls really hard," head coach Michael Avalon said. "We hit with authority and power. I was really proud of that. This game is tough at times, but today we're thankful for what we were able to do."
GAME ONE
Pearl River (29-7 overall; 11-1 MACCC) wasted no time getting on the board. Jackson Estes (Madison; Germantown) doubled to open the game and came around to score on a Chap Cook (Canton; Canton Academy) single.
The Wildcats broke things open in the second, plating five runs. Kyler King (Picayune) tripled and scored on a Landon Hawkins (Sumrall) double. Colton Strange (Yukon, Okla.) drove in two with a single, Gatlin Pitts (Fairhope, Ala.; Bayside Academy) added an RBI knock and Estes capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
After three scoreless innings from JP Abt (Brandon; Hartfield Academy), Pearl River added another in the fourth when Estes tripled home Pitts to push the lead to 6-0.
Coahoma (9-21; 2-10) got on the board with a double steal in the fourth, but the Wildcats answered in the fifth as Beddoe singled home a run to make it 7-1.
Pearl River's biggest swing came in the sixth. With two outs, the Wildcats delivered one of the game's rare feats — three consecutive home runs. Estes started the surge with a 1-1 blast, Coy Clements (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) followed by launching the first pitch he saw, and Cook capped it with an 0-2 homer to stretch the lead to 10-2. The long ball was Clements' 17th of the season, moving him closer to the program's single-season record of 20.
Coahoma responded with five runs in the bottom half to trim the deficit to 10-7, but Pearl River answered emphatically in the seventh. A two-run error sparked a four-run frame, followed by a sacrifice fly from Clements and Cook's second home run of the game to extend the lead to 15-7.
The Tigers added one final run before the Wildcats closed out the 15-8 victory.
Abt earned the win in his first collegiate start, tossing five innings of two-run baseball. He allowed four hits and one walk while striking out six.
"He's going to pound the zone and compete," Avalon said. "He's got that competitor in him, so we were impressed with what he did."
Wilkes Johnson (Jackson; Madison Ridgeland Academy), Jarvis Woody (Ridgeland) and Slade Shove-Knox (Sulphur, La.) combined to finish the game on the mound.
Pitts, Estes, Cook and Nico Williams (Gulfport) each collected three hits, while King added two. Estes drove in five runs and Cook finished with four RBIs as Pearl River totaled 11 extra-base hits.
GAME TWO
The Wildcats kept the momentum rolling in game two, scoring in four consecutive innings after being held scoreless in the first.
Pearl River struck first in the second. Williams tripled home Cook, and two pitches later King doubled him in. Beddoe added a sacrifice fly before Pitts capped the inning with an RBI single to make it 4-0.
Another four-run inning followed in the third. Cook doubled in a run, King added an RBI single and later scored on a wild pitch, and Strange closed the frame with an RBI knock to extend the lead to 8-0.
The Wildcats added three more in the fourth, all with two outs. Williams doubled and scored on King's third hit of the game, and Beddoe followed with a two-run single to push the advantage to 11-0.
Coahoma managed its lone run in the bottom half, but Pearl River answered in the fifth on a fielder's choice from Gardner Young (Madison; Jackson Prep) to make it 12-1 and secure the run-rule victory.
Preston McAdory (Lucedale; George County) earned the win, throwing four innings of one-run baseball while allowing just two hits and one walk. He struck out three. Tyrese Johnson (West Point) closed the door with a clean inning.
King led the way offensively, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Williams and Strange each finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Pitts and Cook drew two walks apiece.
NEXT UP
Pearl River travels to Copiah-Lincoln on Tuesday for a 3/6 p.m. doubleheader. The games will be livestreamed at colinathletics.com/watch.
Games will be available over the air in Pearl River County by tuning into 1320-AM and 106.9 FM. The radio broadcast is also available at WRJWRadio.com and by downloading the WRJW app.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
