No. 2 Pearl River's rally comes up short in second game of Super Regional

Dylan Dunaway - PRCC Sports Information Director

POPLARVILLE, Miss. — No. 2 Pearl River made a late comeback bid in game two of the Region 23 Super Regional, but East Central held on to win 6-4 and force a winner-take-all game three.

First pitch from Dub Herring Park is set for 2 p.m. with the Region 23 Championship and a trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series on the line. Tickets can be purchased at PRCCAthletics.com/tickets. The game will also be livestreamed at PRCCMedia.com/Gold and also on the radio at FM 106.9 / 1320 AM, and wrjwradio.com

"We made a couple mistakes, and we barreled a couple of balls right at guys. Our at-bats were really good," head coach Michael Avalon said. "I love this group behind me and am thankful to be their coach. We need our fans here tomorrow, because I can promise you that my guys are going to play extremely hard."

Max Miller (Vancleave) delivers a pitch in Game 2 for the Wildcats.

Pearl River (49-8 overall) grabbed the early lead in the contest, scoring a run in each of the first and third innings. In the first, Keegan Giger (Petal) singled and scored on a Topher Jones (Hernando) single. A leadoff single in the third by Kyler King (Picayune) resulted in a run when the East Central (42-13) pitcher threw a wild pitch, 2-0.

The Warriors scored three runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to move ahead 6-2.

The Wildcats rallied back in the top of the sixth inning. Conner Dyess (Carriere; Pearl River Central) worked a leadoff walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Dyess then turned in an electric play shortly after. Jaxon Milam (Phenix City, Ala.; Glenwood Academy) drove narrowly missed a two-run homer and the ball was caught at the warning track. Dyess tagged from third and never checked up, rounding the bag and scoring to make it a two-base sacrifice fly, 6-3. Jackson Hood (Madison; Germantown) kept the rally going by walking and eventually scoring on a pinch-hit RBI single through the right side by Ethan Garner (Gulfport), 6-4.

The Wildcats stranded runners in the seventh and ninth innings, falling to the Warriors 6-4.

Camden Clark (Laurel; West Jones) threw 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out three. Drew Harrison (Madison; Germantown) recorded one out, allowing three runs on three hits. Max Miller (Vancleave) was elite out of the bullpen, throwing four one-hit, one-walk innings and striking out six. 

Giger, Jones, Milam, Hood, Garner and King each had hits in the game. PRCC also drew six walks.  

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