POPLARVILLE – Pearl River Community College got a measure of revenge against Hinds Wednesday, sweeping an MACJC baseball doubleheader from the Eagles at Raymond.
The Wildcats scored eight runs in the fourth inning to make short work of the opener, winning 12-1 in five innings, then rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning to complete the sweep 8-5.
Sixth-ranked PRCC (29-7 overall) remains in first place in the conference at 15-3 in league play. Hinds, which single-handedly knocked the Wildcats out of last season's NJCAA Region 23 Tournament, fell to 21-13 and 7-11.
Pearl River broke a scoreless tie in the third inning when sophomore Derek Eberly (Blountstown, Fla.) doubled with one out and sophomore Simon Landry (Ponchatoula, La.) followed with his 16th home run of the season.
Freshman Noah Barron (Hoover, Ala.) singled and freshman Shemar Page (Raleigh) doubled. Barron was tagged out at home on a groundout, but Page trotted home after a pair of balks were called.
The Wildcats broke the game open in the fourth, sending 13 batters to the plate.
Freshman Luke Harper (Meridian) led off with a double and went to third when redshirt freshman Matt Taylor (Raleigh) beat out a bunt for a single. Sophomore Bryson Medious (Columbia) drove in a run with a single, then Eberly walked to load the bases.
Taylor scored from third on a wild pitch, but the Eagles then got two outs. Page walked to reload the bases, and freshman Wiley Cleland (Columbia) drove in two runs with a single.
Sophomore Scooter Ginn (Columbia) doubled to drive in two more runs and Harper drove in two more with an inside-the-park homer. Page hit his first home run of the season in the fifth to make it 12-0. Hinds scored a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Sophomore right-hander Camden Dusang (Carriere) allowed two hits, improving his record to 6-0.
PRCC continued the onslaught in Game 2, scoring three runs in the second inning on Ginn's first homer of the season, coming after Page reached on an error and Barron singled.
Landry made it 4-0 with a mammoth home run in the fourth, giving him 17 on the season, and pulling him into a tie for second place for homers in NJCAA Division II. Cleland led off the fifth with a double and scored on an error off the bat of Ginn.
Freshman starter Miles Smith (Laurel) carried a no-hitter into the fifth before surrendering a home run, and the Eagles tied the game in the sixth with four runs, but sophomore Colby White (Foxworth) got out of a bases-loaded jam to keep it 5-5.
In the top of the seventh, Ginn reached on an error to lead off and Taylor bunted for a single. Hinds got a double play, but Eberly drove in the go-ahead run with a triple, then Landry was walked intentionally.
Eberly scored on a wild pitch, advancing Landry to second, and sophomore Kevin Carter (Gulfport) brought Landry home with a single. White then retired the Eagles in order in the bottom of the seventh to earn the victory, improving his record to 4-2.
The Wildcats will be back home at 2 p.m. next Saturday to face East Mississippi. Both games of the doubleheader will be livestreamed on prccmedia.com. PRCC then travels to Ellisville on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. showdown with second-place Jones County.
PRCC BASEBALL LINESCORES
Wednesday at Raymond
Pearl River 12, Hinds 1 (5 innings)
PRCC 003 81 – 12 17 2
HCC 000 01 – 1 2 0
PEARL RIVER (28-7, 14-3 in MACJC): Matt Taylor 2 1B; Bryson Medious 2 1B; Derek Eberly 2B, 1BSimon Landry HR (2-run), 1B; Noah Barron 2 1B; Shemar Page HR (solo), 2B; Wiley Cleland 2 1B; Scooter Ginn 2B; Luke Harper HR (2-run, inside the park), 2B. WP – Camden Dusang (6-0).
HINDS (21-12, 7-10 in MACJC): Jovante Dorris 1B; Carson Klepzig 1B. LP – Austin Booth (4-2). Also pitching – Chad Butcher; Luke Files; Caleb Gill.
Pearl River 8, Hinds 5
PRCC 031 100 3 – 8 8 0
HCC 000 014 0 – 5 6 3
PEARL RIVER (29-7, 15-3 in MACJC): Matt Taylor 1B; Derek Eberly 3B; Simon Landry HR (solo); Shemar Page 1B; Noah Barron 1B; Wiley Cleland 2B; Scooter Ginn HR (3-run). WP – Colby White (4-2). Also pitching – Miles Smith (starter); Jerod Meggs.
HINDS (21-13, 7-11 in MACJC): Jovante Dorris 2 1B; Staton Todd 2B; Cole Whitfield HR (solo), 2B; J.P. Elkins 2B. LP – Jase Dalton (3-2). Also pitching – Caleb Morgan (starter); Noah Hughes; Patrick Hodges.