POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The No. 2 Pearl River baseball team opened its 2026 campaign in dominant fashion Tuesday afternoon, using five pitchers to shut out Coastal Alabama - South, 7-0.
"We scored seven runs today, and our offense still needs to sharpen up," head coach Michael Avalon said. "But we pitched and defended the ball really well, so I was proud of that.
"A lot of credit to them (Coastal Alabama - South) — that's one of the most improved teams on the mound from year to year that I've ever seen. They made things tough on us, and we managed to scratch across some runs."
Starting pitcher Logan Fontenelle (Biloxi) set the tone early for Pearl River (1-0), tossing a quick 1-2-3 first inning. The right-hander ran into trouble in the second, loading the bases with two outs, but calmly found the zone and punched out the final batter to escape the jam.
The Wildcats backed Fontenelle with a three-run second inning. Coy Clements (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) reached on an error and Nico Williams (Gulfport) singled up the middle. Kyler King (Picayune) followed by roping an RBI double into the left-center gap to open the scoring. Jackson Estes (Madison; Germantown) brought home another run with a groundout, and Jackson Beddoe (Sulphur, La.) capped the frame with an RBI triple that narrowly missed leaving the park, giving Pearl River a 3-0 lead.
Pearl River added another run in the fourth when Beddoe lined an RBI single just in front of a diving left fielder. Dalton Graham (Conehatta; Newton County) took over in relief in the fifth inning and impressed in his collegiate debut. After redshirting last season, Graham retired the side in order and struck out two.
The Wildcats tacked on another run in the fifth. Jackson Hood (Madison; Germantown) worked a walk and immediately swiped second base. Williams followed by blooping a ball into shallow right field off the cap of the bat and stretching it into an RBI double, making it 5-0.
Colin Jenkins (Mt. Olive; Simpson Academy) faced the minimum in the sixth inning, while Tanner Busby (Picayune) matched him with a clean seventh.
Clements provided the exclamation point in the bottom of the seventh. After Hood reached on an error, the cleanup hitter turned on a 2-0 pitch and launched Pearl River's first home run of the season over the left-field wall, pushing the lead to 7-0.
"It was a 2-0 pitch, and I was cheating for the heater," Clements said. "I didn't want to miss it or be late. It was over the plate, and I put a good swing on it."
Busby tossed another scoreless inning in the eighth before Landon Watts (Picayune) closed the door in the ninth. The right-hander recorded a groundout, a flyout and capped the afternoon with a strikeout to secure the shutout victory.
LEADING THE WAY
Fontenelle earned the win after tossing a predetermined four innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three.
"Fontenelle didn't know he was going to start until late today," Avalon said. "I thought he did a really good job, and I know he understands there are still some things to sharpen up."
Graham struck out two in a perfect inning of work. Jenkins issued one walk in his scoreless frame. Busby went two innings, allowing one hit and striking out two, while Watts added a strikeout in his inning of relief.
"I was very proud of DG (Dalton Graham) and (Tanner) Busby," Avalon said. "It's part of the process. They could've helped a lot of people last year and decided to redshirt with us. We're excited and thankful to have them this year — they're going to be big pieces."
At the plate, Clements finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Williams went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Beddoe added a 2-for-2 performance with two RBIs.
NEXT UP
Pearl River heads to the Visit Panama City Beach Classic on Thursday and Friday. Games will be livestreamed for a fee at PerfectGame.org/DiamondKast.
Games will also be available over the air in Pearl River County by tuning into 1320-AM and 106.9 FM. The radio broadcast is also available at WRJWRadio.com and by downloading the WRJW app.
For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).
