GOODMAN, Miss. — No. 2 Pearl River baseball jumped on Holmes early and never let up Friday afternoon, cruising to a 10-0 run-rule victory on the road against the Bulldogs.
"All of our pitchers that went out threw well today. We threw a lot of strikes and didn't walk a batter, so that was really good to see," head coach Michael Avalon said. "On offense, we took what they gave us and that's something we need to build on. Our guys get pitched pretty tough, so you have to be disciplined and cash in your freebies."
It didn't take long for Pearl River (18-6 overall) to set the tone against Holmes (8-10). Gatlin Pitts (Fairhope, Ala.; Bayside Academy) drew a leadoff walk and two consecutive wild pitches moved him to third. Jackson Estes (Madison; Germantown) then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to give PRCC a 1-0 lead.
Drew Harrison (Madison; Germantown) worked around a two-out single in the bottom half of the inning to keep Holmes off the board and send the Wildcats back to the plate.
With two outs in the second, Kyler King (Picayune) drew a six-pitch walk to bring up Landon Hawkins (Sumrall). The freshman left fielder worked into a 2-1 count before blasting a two-run home run over the wall in left field — the first of his collegiate career — to make it 3-0.
"He's capable of being a piece in our lineup just like the other guys are," Avalon said. "When you're a young guy, you have to be ready to accept your opportunities. We have depth, so when your number is called you have to make the most of it."
Harrison tossed two more scoreless frames before handing the ball to Preston McAdory (Lucedale; George County) in the fourth. McAdory kept Holmes quiet and Pearl River added another run in the fifth. Coy Clements (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) doubled and later scored when Ethan Garner (Gulfport) lined an RBI single into right field, extending the lead to 4-0.
McAdory followed with another scoreless inning in the fifth before the Wildcats broke the game open in the sixth.
Pearl River loaded the bases with singles from King and Hawkins along with a walk from Pitts. Estes then ripped a single into left field to drive in two runs. Clements followed with an RBI single before Chap Cook (Canton; Canton Academy) launched a towering three-run home run over the wall in right field to push the lead to 10-0. The blast was Cook's 10th of the season and officially put the game into run-rule territory.
Logan Fontenelle (Biloxi) returned to the mound for the first time since suffering an injury Feb. 13 and needed just 10 pitches to retire the Bulldogs in order in the sixth inning. Landon Watts (Picayune) closed things out in the seventh, using only nine pitches to seal the 10-0 run-rule victory.
"One of the highlights of the day was getting Fontenelle back out there," Avalon said. "We know how important he can be down the stretch, so it was good to see him compete again."
LEADING THE WAY
Clements and Hawkins each recorded two hits. Estes and Cook drove in three runs apiece, while Pitts reached base four times with three walks and a hit from the leadoff spot.
"That's what we need Pitts to do," Avalon said. "We need him to get on base and set the table for us. That's when he's at his best — when he takes what he gets."
Harrison threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out four. McAdory struck out two and surrendered just one hit in two innings of work. Fontenelle and Watts each tossed a perfect inning, with Watts recording one strikeout.
NEXT UP
Pearl River heads to Nunez Monday for a 6 p.m. showdown. The game will be PRCC's final tuneup before MACCC play begins.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
