PERKINSTON, Miss. — No. 2 Pearl River baseball made a statement Wednesday night in Perkinston, going on the road and sweeping rival No. 18 Gulf Coast.
After falling to the Bulldogs in an early-season non-conference showdown, the Wildcats responded with authority, taking the opener 11-6 and battling back to win the nightcap 11-8.
"That was one heck of a team we played. They (Gulf Coast) ran out a lot of good arms and were tough on offense," head coach Michael Avalon said. "Thankfully, we were able to make some plays. The atmosphere was great tonight and I'm really proud of this group for fighting until the end."
GAME ONE
Behind a potent offensive attack and a lights-out start from Drew Harrison (Madison; Germantown), Pearl River (27-7 overall; 9-1 MACCC) took care of Gulf Coast (19-12; 4-6) 11-6 in the opener.
Harrison tossed seven innings — the most by a Wildcat starting pitcher this season — allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out eight to help PRCC control the contest.
Pearl River struck early, scoring in each of the second and third innings. In the second, eight- and nine-hole hitters Landon Hawkins (Sumrall) and Jackson Beddoe (Sulphur, La.) went back-to-back with doubles to open the scoring. In the third, Nico Williams (Gulfport) dropped a perfectly placed bunt for an RBI.
Coy Clements (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) extended PRCC's lead in the fifth frame, jumping on the first pitch he saw and driving it well beyond the right-field wall for a solo home run — his 16th long ball of the 2026 season. He now sits four shy of tying PRCC's single-season record of 20, set by Hollis Porter in 2024.
MGCCC answered in the fifth with a two-run single up the middle to slice the lead to 3-2, but the Wildcats had an immediate response. Executing the hit-and-run to perfection, Abel Thetford (Bossier City, La.; Parkway) took off from first as Kyler King (Picayune) drove a ball into the gap for an RBI double. Beddoe followed with a sacrifice fly to push the lead back to three.
Harrison settled back down in the sixth, striking out three of the four batters he faced to keep momentum on PRCC's side. The Wildcats added more insurance in the seventh when Clements walked and Williams bashed a 2-1 pitch over the videoboard in left to make it 7-2.
Pearl River broke things open in the ninth, tacking on four runs of insurance. King drove a ball through the left side for a two-run single, and Beddoe added a two-run single up the middle to extend the lead to 11-3.
Gulf Coast plated three runs in the ninth, but the Wildcats closed the door.
King finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Clements went 2-for-3 with two runs, two walks and one RBI, while Hawkins and Beddoe each added two hits. Beddoe drove in a team-high four runs.
Tanner Busby (Picayune) threw 1 2/3 innings in relief, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Colin Jenkins (Mt. Olive; Simpson Academy) recorded the final out.
GAME TWO
The drama was higher than ever when game two rolled around, but the Wildcats were up to the challenge.
Pearl River jumped out in front in the first inning. Gatlin Pitts (Fairhope, Ala.; Bayside Academy) was plunked to begin the day, moved to third on an Estes double and scored on a wild pitch. Chap Cook (Canton; Canton Academy) and Williams drew walks to load the bases before Thetford blasted an 0-1 pitch off the wall in right field for a two-run double, 3-0.
The Bulldogs answered with runs in each of the first two innings to slice PRCC's advantage to 3-2, but Landon Watts (Picayune), in his first career start, responded with a pair of scoreless frames in the third and fourth, striking out two.
Beddoe continued his strong day in the fifth, driving home a run with a single back up the middle to make it 4-2. Gulf Coast had an answer — and then some — using a home run and a two-run double to snatch a 6-4 lead.
The Wildcats fought back in the sixth. Estes singled and Clements walked before Williams came through once again, lacing an RBI single into left. Thetford followed with a single to load the bases, and King worked a nine-pitch at-bat — fouling off five pitches — before drawing a game-tying walk, 6-6.
Jenkins punched out two in a clean sixth inning to send PRCC back to the plate for what proved to be the final time. Pitts worked a leadoff walk before Estes got a center-cut pitch and deposited it deep into the trees beyond the right-field wall for a two-run blast, 8-6. Three batters later, Williams added insurance, going the opposite way for a mammoth two-run home run to make it 10-6. The Wildcats added one more on a double steal to take an 11-6 lead into the final half-inning.
MGCCC scored two runs in the final frame, but the Wildcat lead was too much to overcome, 11-8.
Watts tossed 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out six. Jenkins pitched 2 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out four.
Estes and Thetford each had three-hit games and drove in two runs apiece. Williams finished with two hits and three RBIs, while Clements walked four times and King added three walks.
NEXT UP
Pearl River travels to Coahoma Saturday for a 2/5 p.m. doubleheader against the Tigers. No livestream will be available for the contests.
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).
