POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The No. 3 Pearl River baseball team couldn't have scripted a better start to MACCC play Tuesday night.
The Wildcats exploded for 30 runs across the doubleheader and sealed the sweep with a five-inning no-hitter from Drew Harrison (Madison; Germantown), defeating Southwest 20-2 and 10-0.
"It's easy to say this with the scores, but that's the best day of baseball we've had all year," head coach Michael Avalon said. "Now we have to continue to do that. To show up and play how we just did every single day is very tough to do, but there is no question that this team is capable of that each time they go out."
GAME ONE
Pearl River (20-6 overall; 2-0 MACCC) offense exploded in the MACCC opener, scoring in each of the first five innings against Southwest (16-9; 0-2)
Jackson Estes (Madison; Germantown) got the scoring started by blasting a two-run home run on a 1-1 count over the right-field wall. His third blast of the season traveled 348 feet. Two more Wildcats reached in the frame before Nico Williams (Gulfport) pushed across another run with a groundout to make it 3-0.
Pearl River extended its lead in the second. A Bears miscue, an RBI single from Gatlin Pitts (Fairhope, Ala.; Bayside Academy), a sacrifice fly from Coy Clements (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) and an RBI knock by Chap Cook (Canton; Canton Academy) plated four runs to stretch the advantage to 7-0.
Southwest scratched across a pair in the third to trim the deficit to 7-2, but PRCC immediately answered with four runs of its own. With Abel Thetford (Bossier City, La.; Parkway) and Jackson Beddoe (Sulphur, La.) aboard, Kyler King (Picayune) grounded out for an RBI. Beddoe later scored on a wild pitch before Clements turned on a 3-2 offering and launched a two-run home run — his 11th of the season — to push the lead to 11-2. The long ball traveled 368 feet.
The Wildcats' offensive surge continued in the fourth. Williams lined a single to center to drive in a run and later scored during a double steal. Beddoe worked a walk and King was hit by a pitch to set the stage for Pitts, who crushed a 3-2 fastball over the wall for a 386-foot three-run homer, making it 16-2. Estes later doubled and scored on a Cook single, and Gardner Young (Madison; Jackson Prep) capped the inning with a two-run single down the right-field line to extend the lead to 19-2.
Pearl River added one final run in the fifth, taking advantage of two walks and a hit-by-pitch before Cook drove in another with a groundout to make it 20-2. The Wildcats held Southwest scoreless over the final two frames to secure the run-rule victory.
In his first start since Feb. 13, Logan Fontenelle (Biloxi) tossed three innings of two-run baseball, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out one. JP Abt (Brandon; Hartfield Academy) earned the win in relief, throwing two hitless innings and striking out three. Trace McDonald (Sandy Hook; West Marion) and Jarvis Woody (Ridgeland) combined to finish the final two innings, with Woody scattering two hits over 1 2/3 frames.
Estes finished 4-for-4 and a triple shy of the cycle, driving in two runs and drawing a walk. Pitts went 3-for-5 with four runs scored, four RBIs and a walk. Clements, Cook, Ethan Garner (Gulfport), Beddoe and King each recorded two hits, while Cook drove in three runs.
GAME TWO
With Harrison on the mound and the offense still rolling, the nightcap was all Wildcats.
The first Southwest batter reached on an error, but Harrison responded by striking out the next hitter before inducing a double play to end the inning. He followed with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 second inning before PRCC broke through offensively.
Williams worked a walk and later scored when Fontenelle ripped a double down the line that was misplayed by the Bears' right fielder. Fontenelle advanced to third on the play and came home moments later on an errant throw from the pitcher to give Pearl River a 2-0 lead.
Beddoe was then hit by a pitch. After briefly appearing shaken up, he took his base and quickly stole both second and third before scoring on a groundout from Landon Hawkins (Sumrall) to extend the lead to 3-0.
Harrison continued to dominate in the third, striking out two more batters. The Wildcats then added to their lead in the bottom half of the inning. With the bases loaded, Hawkins dropped a two-run single into no-man's land to make it 5-0, and Pearl River later pushed two additional runs across on Southwest miscues to extend the advantage to 7-0.
PRCC ended the game in the fifth. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch moved everyone up a base before a Southwest error allowed another run to score. Pitts then slapped a single into right field to trigger the run-rule and cap a 10-0 victory — while simultaneously securing a five-inning no-hitter for Harrison.
Harrison tossed five innings of no-hit baseball, allowing just two baserunners — a walk and an error — while striking out seven of the 16 batters he faced.
"I was working each side of the plate and trying to attack the hitters," Harrison said. "It's a brand new season everyone is 0-0. I had that mentality when I went out there."
Pitts and Fontenelle each recorded two hits in the contest, with both of Fontenelle's going for doubles. Hawkins drove in three runs and King added two RBIs.
NEXT UP
Pearl River continues a homestand Saturday as Northeast travels to Dub Herring Park for a 2/5 p.m. doubleheader.
TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now at PRCCAthletics.com/Tickets. Season tickets are $120. Single-game tickets are $9 if purchased in advance or $11 if purchased on game day.
TUNE IN
All home Pearl River baseball games are livestreamed for free at PRCCMedia.com/Gold. Fans with Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV devices can also watch the Wildcat broadcasts by downloading the "Pearl River CC" channel from their app stores.
Games will also 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).
