No. 2 Pearl River sweeps Southwest in regular season finale

Dylan Dunaway - PRCC Sports Information Director

SUMMIT, Miss. — The No. 2 Pearl River baseball team closed out the regular season with a road sweep Tuesday night at Southwest, winning game one 5-1 and the nightcap 4-2.

"It wasn't our prettiest baseball, but wins are wins — and they are beautiful," head coach Michael Avalon said. "We didn't cash in with runners on base tonight, but Southwest made pitches and plays when they needed it. We have to get a little bit better, be smarter and be focused.

"Our pitchers were phenomenal today. Any time that you give up three runs on the day, you've got a chance to win. We swung the bats well but didn't swing them when we had opportunities to widen the gap."

The Wildcats now turn their focus to the Region 23 Tournament that will be hosted at Dub Herring Park May 5-9. The play-in game will be on May 5 at 4 p.m., featuring 8-seed Northwest and 9-seed Meridian. The 1-seed Wildcats take on the winner of that game May 6 at 6 p.m. More information about the Region 23 Tournament will be made available soon.

"We look forward to seeing our fans," Avalon said. "We need it to be the best atmosphere in junior college baseball like we always say. We need it to be that Tuesday at 6 p.m."

GAME ONE

KK Clark (Brandon) was sharp on the mound for Pearl River (45-7 overall; 25-3 MACCC) in the opener against Southwest (24-32; 14-14). Over the course of his five-inning start, the right-hander kept the Bears off the scoresheet, tallying four strikeouts and scattering three hits. 

Clark was given a run to work with in the second and two in the fifth. Three consecutive singles by Jaxon Milam (Phenix City, Ala.; Glenwood Academy), Jackson Hood (Madison; Germantown) and Logan Terry (Semmes, Ala.; East Central) brought across the first run. PRCC loaded up the bases in the fifth with singles from Logan Fontenelle (Biloxi), Kyler King (Picayune) and Keegan Giger (Petal). Jacob Keys (Brandon) grounded into a double play but still managed to drive in a run. Caston Thompson (Jayess; Brookhaven Academy) added the next run by slashing a single the other way, 3-0.

Clark gave way to fellow Mississippi State transfer Max Miller (Vancleave) in the sixth. PRCC's lone left-hander was fantastic in relief, allowing just one unearned run in the bottom of the eighth. 

The Wildcats scored their final two runs of the day in the seventh and eighth. Thompson doubled home the fourth run, and Giger singled in the next. Pearl River took the contest 5-1.

Clark earned his eighth win of the year in his 14th start. Miller grabbed his fourth save with four innings of one-run baseball. He walked two and gave up one hit.

Giger led the way at the plate, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Thompson was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. King also was 2-for-4 in the game.

GAME TWO

Although the Wildcats had RBI singles from Topher Jones (Hernando) and Milam in the first inning, runs were at a premium the rest of the way. In the bottom of the second, Southwest evened things up by blasting a two-run home run over straight away center field, 2-2.

Jones put the Wildcats back on top in the third as the Mississippi State transfer laced a ball into right field and into the corner. He dashed all the way around the bases and slid into third with an RBI triple, 3-2.

The Pearl River pitching staff had to be nearly perfect the rest of the way — and the Wildcats gave it their best shot. Colin Jenkins (Mt. Olive; Simpson Academy) and Landon Watts (Picayune) threw clean fourth and fifth innings. Nico Williams (Gulfport) recorded an out in the sixth before running into some trouble and prompting PRCC to bring in its closer Carson Fair (Southaven). Fair fired eight pitches after entering the game and registered two strikeouts to escape danger.

An ever-important insurance run scored in the top of the seventh for the Wildcats. With a runner in scoring position, Thompson knocked an RBI single, 4-2. Fair walked the leadoff batter in the bottom half of the frame, but two quick strikeouts and a ground ball closed things out and secured the sweep.

Camden Clark (Laurel; West Jones) earned the win with a pre-determined three-inning outing. He allowed two runs on three hits and two walks, striking out two. Jenkins and Watts each had a punch out.

Williams tallied one strikeout and two walks. Fair had four strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings to record his eighth save of the year, moving him into a tie for the most in a season in Pearl River history.

Keys, Thompson and Jones each had two hits. Jones led the way with two RBIs, while Thompson and Milam each had one.

For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).