POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The No. 1 Pearl River baseball team took care of business in its final tune-up of the 2026 regular season Tuesday afternoon, run-ruling Baton Rouge 16-1 in seven innings.
"We got to play today and got some guys work to keep them on their schedule," head coach Michael Avalon said. "We tried to do our best to set things up for the most important games next week. Several guys threw well.
"We did some good things today. It was a good day, and now we'll take a couple of days off to rest up. We've put ourselves in a great position, hosting a regional at our place."
PRCC now turns its attention to the upcoming Region 23 Tournament, set for May 4–8 at Dub Herring Park. Additional information about the tournament will be released soon.
Pearl River struck first in the second inning. Chap Cook (Canton; Canton Academy) doubled into the gap, moved to third and scored on Ethan Garner's (Gulfport) perfectly placed bunt down the line for an RBI single, 1-0.
The Wildcats broke things open an inning later with four runs. Jackson Estes (Madison; Germantown) doubled home Gatlin Pitts (Fairhope, Ala.; Bayside Academy), and Jackson Hood (Madison; Germantown) followed with a sacrifice fly. Moments later, Nico Williams (Gulfport) delivered the big swing — launching a 440-foot, two-run home run on a 1-1 count to make it 5-0. The blast marked his 10th of the season.
PRCC added two more in the fourth as Pitts drove in a run with a single and later scored on a groundout to push the lead to 7-0.
The fifth inning put the game out of reach. Pearl River plated eight runs, highlighted by a three-run, opposite-field home run from Hood that left the bat at 107 miles per hour. A fielder's choice scored Hood earlier in the frame, while Kyler King (Picayune) and Coy Clements (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) each contributed sacrifice flies. Pitts drew a bases-loaded walk, and Abel Thetford (Bossier City, La.; Parkway) added an RBI walk in the inning, 15-0.
Baton Rouge got on the board in the sixth, but PRCC answered immediately as Thetford drove in a run with a groundout to make it 16-1. The Wildcats closed the door in the seventh to secure the run-rule victory.
Drew Harrison (Madison; Germantown) earned the win, tossing three scoreless innings in a planned outing. He scattered three hits and a walk while striking out four. Cal Culpepper (Meridian; Clarkdale) followed with two hitless innings, striking out four. Wilkes Johnson (Jackson; Madison-Ridgeland Academy) allowed one run in an inning of work, and Slade Shove-Knox (Sulphur, La.) struck out three in a scoreless frame.
At the plate, Pitts collected two hits and walked twice. Hood drove in four runs, while Williams, Garner, Estes and Thetford each finished with two RBIs. Pitts, Clements and Landon Hawkins (Sumrall) all drew two walks.
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