The questions kept coming for Blayze Berry on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the standout on the Heritage Academy baseball team worked his way through exams in computer applications and Spanish. The junior right-hander felt he did “pretty good” on both, even though he admitted it was hard to concentrate on his schoolwork with Game 1 of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class AAA State championship series on deck later in the day.
Berry didn’t have any trouble focusing on the mound or at the plate against Wayne Academy.
The Mississippi State commitment pitched a complete game four-hitter and added a two-run home run to propel Heritage Academy to a 6-1 victory in the opening game of the best-of-three series at Trip Carson Field.
“Coming in day in and day out for pitching, you really want to put on a dominant performance,” Berry said, when asked what the most impressive aspect of his evening. “The two-run bomb is big because we have to keep scoring and keep adding.”
Heritage Academy (26-7) can secure its first baseball state championship at 5 p.m. Friday when the teams square off in Game 2 in Waynesboro. If needed, Game 3 would follow approximately 30 minutes after the first game.
Berry helped the Patriots get off on the right foot thanks to an economical 101-pitch (71 strikes) effort. He relied on a fastball that clocked in the mid-to-upper 80s early in the game and remained dominant until the final pitch, a swing-and-miss third strike in the dirt that secured his eighth strikeout.
“The shame of it is you expect it,” Heritage Academy coach Justin Flake said when asked about Berry’s performance. “We don’t want to take it for granted. That is a guy the bigger the stage, the more locked in he is.”
Berry was coming off a complete game one-hitter against arch-rival Starkville Academy in Game 1 of that series, which went to three games. He also struck out eight and had two hits in that outing.
Despite the strong showing, Berry said he wondered if he could duplicate his dominance nine days later. With all day to think about the game, Berry said he wondered if he would pitch good and he tried not to jinx himself. He said the recipe for success was a fastball-heavy attack.
“Velocity wins games this late in the season,” Berry said. “If you have velocity, you’re going to win. I pound the zone a lot, so you just have to stay in the zone and fill it up.”
Heritage Academy set the tone in the bottom of the first inning with three runs. Cole Ketchum (single) and Carter Putt and Parker Ray (walks) had RBIs in a 38-pitch inning that saw the Patriots send nine men to the plate against starting pitcher Chay Rogers.
Berry provided insurance in the fourth when he launched a two-run home run over the extended fence in center field that made it 5-0. Ray capped Heritage Academy’s scoring in the fifth with a single that scored Putt, who singled, stole second base, and went to third base on a throwing error.
Wayne Academy (21-12) scored in the sixth thanks to Jacob Castle’s RBI double that plated Colton Coxwell, who singled. But the Jaguars were able to get men in scoring position (all at second base) against Berry, who had only two innings (fifth and sixth) in which he threw more than 15 pitches.
Flake said Berry and catcher Carson Hollis have “gotten better as dance partners.” He said the coaching staff and Berry have confidence in Hollis, an eighth-grader, who stepped in after starting catcher Seth Harris was injured.
“Hollis has done a great job,” Flake said. “The greatest compliment to give Hollis is that is who Blayze wants. He receives it well. He blocks well. He can trust him to throw down in the zone.”
Flake said it is nice to have Game 1 in the team’s pocket before it goes on the road to try to make history. They agreed they will face a challenge, but they also feel the Patriots are ready for it.
“They have their best arms available Friday and we know they’re not going to let up,” Flake said. “We can’t take them for granted. That is a tough ball club. They’re going to fight.”
With all of the questions answered for at least one day, Berry said he and the Patriots will be prepared to take care of business away from home.
“It is going to be a dogfight,” Berry said. “They are going to give us their best shot.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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