MOOREVILLE — The New Hope High School baseball team scored three times in the first inning and never looked back in recording a 9-4 victory over Mooreville in a second round Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 4A playoff game.
The victory evened the best-of-three series at a game apiece. The teams will play at 6 tonight in New Hope to decide which team will play Pontotoc or Ripley in the next round, which will begin Thursday.
For New Hope (24-5), Cade Odom led a six-hit attack with two doubles. Xavier Harrison added a double, while Nick Sims, Drew Pounders, and Ryan Burt had singles. Payton Springfield had a sacrifice fly.
Springfield threw 5 1/3 innings to pick up the win, while Sims threw the final 1 2/3 innings for a save.
Mooreville (18-10) erased a 2-0 deficit to take an 8-3 win in the series opener Friday night at New Hope.
n Kosciusko 4, Caledonia 3: At Caledonia, the Confederates dropped a one-run decision leaving their Class 4A second-round playoff series even at a game apiece.
The teams play at 7 tonight in Kosciusko. The winner will face Amory in the next round, which will begin Thursday.
For Caledonia (16-12), Houston Mims had three hits and two RBIs. Seth Brown had the other hit for the Confederates.
Beau Bates allowed four hits and three runs (none earned) in three innings to take the loss. Hunter McMurphey also threw three innings, while Justin Black threw an inning.
n On Friday, Caledonia beat Kosciusko 2-1 behind a strong pitching effort from Cade Stacy and McMurphey.
Stacy went the first five innings and allowed two hits and one unearned run. He walked seven and struck out seven. McMurphey struck out two in the final two innings.
Seth Brown had a hit and scored a run, Tony Brooks had two hits and scored a run, Sawyer Brown had a hit, Mims had three hits, including a double, and an RBI, and Westlee Honeycutt had an RBI.
n West Point 7, Germantown 3: At West Point, the Green Wave scored five times in the fourth inning to even up their
MHSAA Class 5A second-round playoff series at a game apiece.
The teams play at 7 tonight in Germantown with the winner facing Lewisburg in a third-round series starting Saturday.
For West Point (13-15), Gray Berry and Bryan Robert Watson had two hits to highlight a nine-hit attack. Brandon Lairy drove in three runs and had a double. Davion Goree, Seth Edwards, Jake Chambless, and Marquez Carter also had hits.
Berry allowed eight hits and three runs (two earned), while pitching a complete-game victory.
n On Friday, Connor Carter pitched six strong innings to lead Germantown to a 7-1 win in Game 1.
Carter allowed one hit, walked four, and struck out 12. Blake Dilmore walked one and struck out two in the seventh.
Goree had West Point’s only hit and RBI. Edwards scored a run.
Roe Ketchum allowed eight hits and three runs in five innings. He walked three and struck out eight. Goree and Edwards finished the game on the mound.
n Oak Hill Academy 10, Heritage Academy 0: At West Point, Ethan Bryan had three hits, and Jonah Caskey, Bryan, and Jaden Craven had two RBIs Friday to lead the Raiders to their Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) victory.
Cole Ketchum had two hits for Oak Hill Academy. Dylan Scott and Robert Thompson pitched two innings.
KJ Smith had a hit for Heritage Academy. Reid Huskison pitched 3 2/3 innings for the Patriots.
Softball
n Pickens Academy wins region title: At Livingston, Alabama, the Pickens Academy won two games Friday to win the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) Region 2 tournament.
In its first game, Pickens Academy beat Wilcox Academy 5-0. Shelby Lowe pitched a seven-inning no-hitter. She walked one and struck out 20. Lauren Duckworth was 3-for-3 with a double. Lowe was 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs.
In the region title game, Pickens Academy beat Clarke Prep 2-0. Lowe pitched another no-hitter and struck out 17.
Sydney Kilpatrick was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Caroline Lewis was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Pickens Academy (24-2-1) will plat ay 4 p.m. today at Edgewood Academy.
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