STARKVILLE — Starkville Academy couldn’t have asked for a better situation overall, a scoreless ballgame headed into the seventh inning.

Tuesday’s Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class 5A first round playoff matchup between the Volunteers and Simpson Academy was a grudge-match, a pitcher’s duel that looked like there was no end.

Vols starter Drew Williams was dealing, but in a game of inches, a few pitches in the seventh got away from him, allowing two runs to score as the Cougars took the first game in the best of three series, 2-0.

“He pitched his butt off,” Starkville Academy head coach Thomas Berkery said. “I told the guys after that the game boiled down to three pitches and two of them were pretty good curveballs. The reason I made that point is so that the guys stay locked in and command like Drew did.”

Until that point in the seventh, the Vols (10-21) were more than in the game, having several chances with runners in scoring position earlier in the game. 

Williams kept Starkville Academy in the fight, throwing six scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the seventh.

“It started with just landing my off-speed pitches and commanding both sides of the plate, letting my teammates work behind me, creating soft contact and letting them field the ball,” Williams said.

When the Vols got scoring opportunities, they were unable to cash in, which didn’t end up coming to bite them until Simpson took the lead in the top-half.

Starkville Academy reached base just six times overall, three hits and three walks, as Cougars (31-2) starting pitcher Colin Jenkins tossed a gem, a three-hit shutout, striking out four.

“it’s been our Achilles heel this year, hitting with runners in scoring position,” Berkery said. “Wyatt Johnson hits that ball off the kid’s leg and if it doesn’t hit him in the leg, it goes through and we’re sitting 1-0. It’s one of those deals in a game of inches, it cost us a run … We’ll do better with two strikes. We’ve been focusing on that in practice and in the cage.”

Now, Starkville Academy has to win two-straight road games in order to advance to the next round of the MAIS Class 5A playoffs.

“We’ll go down there and scrap,” Berkery said. “We just have to go down there and fight.”Starkville Academy gives up two runs in seventh, loses to Simpson Academy