POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Dominant pitching and a seven-run eighth inning powered No. 2 Pearl River to a 9-1 win over UA Rich Mountain on Saturday, securing the series victory for the Wildcats.
"Baseball is a tough game, and we have to continue to be confident and have belief in ourselves as we keep moving forward," head coach Michael Avalon said. "I think we saw a glimpse of that today with some of our guys."
Pearl River (12-4 overall) needed a strong start Saturday morning to secure a rubber-match victory against UA Rich Mountain (4-9), and Tanner Busby (Picayune) answered the call in a big way.
The right-hander delivered his best outing of the season, working six innings while allowing just one run on three hits. Busby did not issue a walk and punched out eight, setting the tone early and keeping the Bucks off balance throughout his outing.
"Sophomore day is a tough assignment because you have to get ready and then do it all over again," Avalon said. "He's (Tanner Busby) one of the best on our pitching staff about staying within himself and being effective consistently. He was great today."
The Wildcats gave Busby an early cushion in the bottom of the second inning. Kyler King worked into a 1-1 count before blasting the next pitch over the wall in left field for his first home run of the season, putting Pearl River on top, 1-0.
UA Rich Mountain answered with a solo run in the fourth, but Busby quickly settled back in. He retired the side in order in both the fifth and sixth innings, striking out four batters during the three-inning stretch to keep the game tied heading into the late frames.
Pearl River reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth thanks to Coy Clements (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove). The catcher unloaded on a hanging pitch and sent it 403 feet over the wall for a solo home run, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 advantage.
The Bucks threatened in the seventh after putting two runners aboard with no outs, but the Pearl River bullpen rose to the occasion. Gabe Hodges (Flowood; Northwest Rankin) worked out of the jam with a strikeout, a fly ball to right and a comebacker to the mound to preserve the lead. Dalton Graham (Conehatta; Newton County) followed in the eighth, providing a quick and efficient frame out of the bullpen.
The Wildcats then put the game out of reach with one of their most productive innings of the season. Eleven batters came to the plate in the eighth as Pearl River exploded for seven runs. King drove in a run with an RBI single, and he later scored along with Gardner Young (Madison; Jackson Prep) on a two-run double by Jackson Beddoe (Sulphur, La.).
Gatlin Pitts (Fairhope, Ala.; Bayside Academy) followed with an RBI double into the gap, Chap Cook (Canton; Canton Academy) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Landon Hawkins (Sumrall) added an RBI groundout and Jackson Estes (Madison; Germantown) capped the scoring with an RBI single to right field, stretching the lead to 9-1.
Graham closed out the game in the ninth, facing four batters to lock down the series-clinching victory.
King finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a home run. Clements also posted a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3 with a homer, one RBI and two walks. Beddoe drove in two runs with his double, while Estes walked twice and added an RBI.
Busby earned the win after six dominant innings. Hodges tossed a clean seventh, and Graham picked up the save with two strong innings to finish it off.
NEXT UP
Pearl River hosts rivals Gulf Coast and Jones College Tuesday for a round robin beginning at noon.
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).