STARKVILLE — Starkville Academy junior right-hander Drew Pellum returned normalcy to the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II baseball playoffs Thursday night.
Pellum fired a one-hitter to help Starkville Academy eliminate Heritage Academy 3-0 in a semifinal matchup before a capacity crowd at Volunteer Field.
The Volunteers (23-9) ousted the Patriots with two wins in the best-of-three series. Starkville Academy will face Magnolia Heights (29-6-1) next week in the Class AAA, Division II state championship. That best-of-three series will open with a game Tuesday in Senatobia and close Thursday with one or two games in Starkville.
“I am excited about getting to play next week,” Starkville Academy junior catcher Colby Runnels said. “In football, we were able to go (to the state championship), but we weren’t able to finish. We are hoping to come out and finish this time. We are getting hot at the right time.”
Both teams reached the postseason thanks to strong pitching and defense. Based on these résumés, many were surprised Starkville Academy won the 11-10 Tuesday night in a series opener that featured 28 hits.
On Thursday, each team reverted back to form. Pellum struck out 10 and faced five batters past the minimum. Tough-luck loser James Clark allowed only five hits. The Volunteers scored on a home run by Pellum in the third inning and tacked on two unearned runs thanks to the game’s only two errors in the fifth.
“We couldn’t generate anything early,” Heritage Academy coach Bruce Branch said. “If you can’t get anything going early and you are facing a tough pitcher, it is going to make for a long night. That was the biggest problem for us. We never could get anything going.”
A leadoff single by M.J. Hamrick in the second was Heritage Academy’s lone hit. The Patriots also drew three walks, had two hit by pitch, and one reach first on a wild pitch on a third strike
The Patriots stranded five runners, with only one in scoring position. Runnels threw out two runners trying to steal. He nabbed one Tuesday.
“Drew pitched one heck of a game,” Runnels said. “It was probably his best performance of the season. He earned pitcher of the week last week and followed that up with an even better pitching performance. It was fun to catch him today.”
The Volunteers broke up the scoreless tie when Pellum launched a massive solo home run to left-center field in the third.
“The way the game was going I knew one run would be big,” Pellum said. “I got the pitch I wanted and was able to get my team a lead.”
With Pellum in his zone, one run loomed very large.
“Drew came out and threw one heck of a game,” Starkville Academy coach Neal Henry said. “You think that is enough then he steps in the box and hits a home run, helping his team get to the state finals. That is an awesome day all the way around.”
In the fifth, a base hit by Kirby Cox and a hit by pitch for Pellum set the stage for more scoring. A failed pickoff attempt advanced Cox. With two outs, a throwing error led to two insurance runs.
“James Clark likes to pitch in big-time situations,” Branch said. “For us, this was a big-time situation. Unfortunately, it went like it has most of the year. We really struggled to get him the run support he deserved. I really hate it for him because he is such a competitor. He pitched his tail off.”
After having 25 runners Tuesday, Starkville Academy only had seven reach Thursday.
“It is all about confidence,” Runnels said. “We feel like if we keep pitching and keep playing defense we are going to find a way to score a run. Tonight was a lot like most of our season. We score and put the pressure on the other team and they made a mistake.”
For Heritage Academy (18-14), the season ends with a second straight playoff berth, yet a round shy of the ultimate goal.
“In the second half of the season, we played really well,” Branch said. “Each year, we take a spring break trip. That is really where we bond as a team and everybody comes together. We knew after that trip we had to make a run if we were going to do so at all. I am proud of the way we finished the season to make it to this point.”
Starkville Academy, which lost in the football state championship and won three titles in girls basketball team, will play for another title in baseball. Better yet, it will have a chance to win the crown at home.
“This is so big for our school,” Pellum said. “We had not been in the playoffs since 2006. I am just proud of these guys and proud to be a part of this team. This is really huge.”
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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