No. 1 Pearl River looks to bounce back after World Series loss

Dylan Dunaway - PRCC Sports Information Director

ENID, Okla. — The top-seeded Pearl River baseball team will need to respond with a win to stave off elimination. After falling 11-4 to No. 2 Madison Thursday in the first game of the championship series at David Allen Memorial Ballpark, the Wildcats will need a victory Friday to keep their National Championship goal alive.

"We got beat tonight. That's a quality team," head coach Michael Avalon said. "They pitched it well and swung it well. They jumped on us early and that was the difference. Thankfully, this is a best of three, so it comes down to tomorrow. We need to show up and battle back. It's going to be tough because they're a really good ball club. It'll be up to us to decide that we can do this. I know that they're going to decide to do it. They don't quit. We'll regroup and get ready tomorrow.

"This team hasn't lost back-to-back this year, so why start now?"

RECAP

Madison (49-9 overall) came out of the gate swinging, pushing across five runs in the first two innings of the night.

Pearl River (43-11) broke into the run column in the bottom half of the second inning. Alex Perry (McComb; North Pike) drove a ball into left field for a single, Ian Montz (Lafayette, La.; Acadiana) followed it up by drawing an 8-pitch walk and D.K. Donaldson (Gulfport; West Harrison) was hit by a pitch to load up the bases. Matt Mercer (Richton; Petal) grabbed the RBI, grounding out to drive home Perry. The run made it a 5-1 ball game.

The Wildcats cut the deficit to 5-3 in the third inning. John Griffin Bell (Mobile, Ala.; Faith Academy) reached base by a hit by pitch and Gabe Broadus (Wilmer, Ala.; Faith Academy) laid down a perfect bunt for a single. Tate Parker (Gulfport; West Harrison) was the next Wildcat to the plate, and he chopped a ball slowly down the third base line that the third baseman picked up and threw to first for the out. Bell never checked up on the play coming all the way around from second base to score. After the run, Broadus stole third base before Perry knocked a ball into left field for the RBI.