STARKVILLE — Some surprises are better than others.
The surprise Starkville High School baseball coach Travis Garner received Tuesday night at Carlisle Field might not be topped.
Behind a two-hit pitching performance from senior left-hander Justin Conner, Starkville blanked Madison Central 10-0 in its Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 3 opener.
Madison Central entered the game with two victories against Region 3 rival Northwest Rankin. The Jaguars also have been ranked as high as No. 3 in The Clarion-Ledger’s poll. On Tuesday, though, Starkville needed only 1 hour, 33 minutes to win by run rule in five innings.
“We have played really well in the last couple of weeks,” Garner said. “However, this really takes playing well to a different level. Would never have imagined a game quite like this. It’s just one region game, and you still play nine of them. However, it was one really good region game for us.”
Starkville (9-4, 1-0 region) won its third straight — all by run-rule. After losing to Gulfport 15-2 in the season opener, the other three Starkville losses have been by a combined seven runs. Garner said the team failed to take advantage of scoring opportunities in those losses.
That wasn’t the case against Madison Central.
“Every time we got a runner on, we basically got them in,” Starkville senior catcher Rashon Tate said. “That is a big difference and a good difference going into region play. We have some good offensive players. We just have to keep putting pressure on the other team. In this win, we did a great job of taking advantage of everything (Madison Central) set up for us.”
Starkville had the bases loaded with two outs in the first inning and scored three runs. It had the bases loaded with two outs in the second and scored four runs.
“As a pitcher your confidence just grows and grows every time you see a run cross the plate,” Conner said. “The first inning was great. However, I felt even better when it was 7-0. I knew I had a good lead and all I had to do was throw strikes. That made the job a little easier.”
Brilliant play by the Starkville defense made Conner’s night even easier. Left fielder Milton Smith II had a diving catch down the line to rob an extra-base hit. Center fielder A.J. Brown also had a critical catch to preserve the shutout. Another inning ended when second baseman Will Murphree went in the hole to rob a hit.
“The defense was great,” Conner said. “I had confidence that any play behind me was going to be made. Madison Central has a good lineup. However, if you have a lead and a great defense, you just pitch even better.”
Conner allowed two runners — each on hits for Madison Central (8-6, 2-1).
Starkville scored three times without a hit in the first. A potential inning-ending ground ball was thrown away to clear the bases. In the second, Tate had the big blow with a three-run double to the left-center field gap. J.D. Taylor followed with a hit.
“I think we are playing with a lot of confidence,” Tate said. “The team is close, and we just feel really good out there together. Our two-out hitting was incredible. This is how you win the big game.”
Starkville brought the run rule into effect with three runs in the fifth. A sacrifice fly by Brown and back-to-back RBIs from Tate and Taylor ended the game.
All 10 Starkville runs came with two outs.
“All of the little things you have to do to win a big game is what we did tonight,” Garner said. “You are waiting for that one game when it all clicks. It is the type of game that the players can reach back to and say, ‘We did this.’
“You really need to take it with grace, though, because we play again Thursday. The next two days we will have to spend bringing the guys back down. I am glad they feel the way they do.”
With Starkville playing errorless ball and Conner not walking anyone, the gap between the teams was sizable. Madison Central pitching walked eight and hit two. The Jaguars committed two errors.
The three-game season series will resume at 6 p.m. Thursday at Madison Central. The teams play again April 8 in Starkville.
“What a long way to go,” Tate said. “Also, what a start.”
n Oxford 9, New Hope 2: At Oxford, the Chargers beat the Trojans in the opening Class 5A, Region 2 game for both teams.
Houston Roth struck out 15 to lead top-ranked Oxford (11-4, 1-0 region).
Will Godfrey, Thomas Stevens, Aidan Fletcher, and Shay Boyd had hits for New Hope (8-3, 0-1).
Also in that region Tuesday night, Saltillo beat West Point 6-3.
n In other action, Kosciusko beat Caledonia 15-7 in Class 4A, Region 4.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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