POPLARVILLE — No. 8 Pearl River put on a hitting clinic against visiting Baton Rouge on Tuesday night at Dub Herring Park. The Wildcats swept the series, picking up run-rule shortened wins of 11-1 in five innings and 18-3 in five innings.
"I thought today for sure was our best offensive day of the year. We swung the bats well, took what they gave us and didn't strike out much," Pearl River coach Michael Avalon said. "That's one of the things we talk to the guys about; We're strong and we're physical and we're going to have good results if we limit the strikeouts."
GAME 1: PRCC 11, BRCC 1 (7 inn.)
Pearl River (9-1 overall) blasted its way to a Game 1 victory as round trippers accounted for eight of the Wildcats' 11 runs.
Austen Izzio (Carriere; Pearl River Central) hit a three-run homer in the second, Wiley Cleland (Columbia; Columbia Academy) slugged a two-run home run later in the inning and Matt Taylor hit a three-run shot in the fifth to account for six of the team's runs.
Cleland opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first. Taylor grounded into a fielder's choice in the second to double PRCC's lead to 2-0. A Shemar Page (Raleigh) sac fly in the sixth scored Cameron Havard (Columbia; Columbia Academy) to cap the game's scoring.
Izzio and Cleland led PRCC with two hits. Taylor led the Wildcats with four RBIs.
Starter Reece Ewing (Mobile, Ala.; Faith Academy) continued to be effectively wild. The freshman took a no hitter into the fourth. He ended up allowing one unearned run in 3 2/3 innings, striking out six against three walks and two hits.
"I thought Reece, like he always does, had really good stuff," Avalon said. "He was in a tough environment with the weather and rain and needs to learn to handle that better, but if he'll figure out how to command the zone his stuff is as good as anybody's in the league.
"He's going to throw some big innings for us."
Evan Bynum (Soso; West Jones) and Cade Hodges (Brookhaven; Loyd Star) pitched the final 3 1/3 innings without surrendering a hit or run.
GAME 2: PRCC 18, BRCC 3 (5 inn.)
The second game was a lot like the first as PRCC scored 18 runs on 14 hits and only struck out three times.
"I thought the arm in Game 2 was a very good junior college arm," Avalon said. "He had a little success against us in the first inning but I was proud of the adjustments we made. We had a lot of hits to the opposite field, which is something we preach."
Pearl River sent three more out of the park in Game 2 courtesy of Cleland, Ewing and Dexter Jordan (Hattiesburg). Noah Barron (Hoover, Ala.) and Ewing also tallied doubles.
Ewing led PRCC at the dish, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Taylor, Izzio, and Cleland also had three hits. Jordan was second on the team with three RBIs. Luke Harper (Meridian; Northeast Lauderdale) walked three times.
Not to be lost in the offensive outpouring vs BRCC (5-15) was the job of PRCC's pitchers. Colin Danley (Lucedale; East Central) allowed one run on two walks and one hit, striking out two in three innings. Jerod Meggs (Kosciusko) pitched a scoreless fourth, striking out two, before Trace McNabb (Foxworth; West Marion) closed the game out.
"You're starting to see Danley grow a little bit as a pitcher," Avalon said of Danley, who was moved from the bullpen to the fourth starter's spot at the start of the season. "We knew he was capable of this and we had some other guys step up in the back end, which has allowed him to take over that starting role. So far it's been good for him. It's comforting to see him find his own as a starter."
