BRANDON — Ben Burrell hit a two-run home run Tuesday night to help the Starkville High School baseball team beat Northwest Rankin 4-2 in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 3 game.
Burrell’s blast gave the Yellow Jackets (11-5, 2-1 region) a 2-0 lead. The Cougars (7-7, 2-3) scored in the second and third innings to tie it. From there, Starkville scored single runs in the sixth and seventh to record the win.
For Starkville, Burrell and Dee Petty each had two hits to highlight a seven-hit attack. Milton Smith, Rashon Tate and J.D. Taylor each added hits. Tate had the other RBI for the Yellow Jackets.
Taylor pitched the final three innings, allowing two hits and no runs with two strikeouts to garner the win. Austin Campbell drew the start but was lifted with two outs in the third inning. Will Prewitt also pitched in middle relief.
The Starkville trio held Northwest Rankin to five hits. The Yellow Jackets also overcame two errors.
Senior left-hander Justin Conner is expected to start for Starkville on Friday when the teams will play at Carlisle Field in Starkville.
n Starkville Academy 4, Winston Academy 2: At Starkville, Caleb Griffin pitched a three-hitter as the Volunteers recorded a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, District 2 contest played at Volunteer Field.
Griffin struck out 11 and allowed two earned runs for the Volunteers. The senior is 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA.
Starkville Academy (13-3, 2-1 district) erased an early 1-0 deficit by scoring twice in the third inning and adding single scores in the fourth and fifth innings.
Drake Gordman and Dillon Carrell each had a pair of hits to highlight an eight-hit attack for the Volunteers. Gordman also had a pair of RBIs.
The teams will play Thursday in Louisville.
n Heritage Academy 6, Leake Academy 2: At Columbus, the Patriots also recorded an MAIS Class AAA, District 2 win Tuesday at home.
The Patriots (10-5, 2-1 district) built a 6-0 lead with three runs in both the third and fifth innings.
That offense would be more than enough for senior Thomas Cooper, who scattered eight hits over a complete-game effort to pick up the win. Cooper struck out six.
Toby Young had three hits for the Patriots, while Dylan Barker and Tyler Anderson had two hits. Young and Barker had three RBIs.
The teams will play Thursday in Madden.
n Marengo Academy 11-8, Pickens Academy 1-0: At Linden, Alabama, the Pirates lost both ends of a doubleheader Tuesday to fall to 8-4.
In Game 1, Preston Pogue (3-2) took the loss. He allowed seven hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four.
Jeff White (RBI), Landon Hattaway, and Brant Criswell had singles.
In Game 2, White (3-1) took the loss. He allowed six hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four.
Austin Pate, Will Jones, and Chance Britt had singles
n On Monday, Pickens Academy beat North River (Ala.) 7-4.
Kris Cooper (2-0) didn’t allow a hit in two innings. He struck out two.
White (RBI) and Nyc Gann (double) had two hits, while Austin Goodman (RBI), Jones, Hunter Wilber, and Britt (RBI) had singles.
Pickens Academy will play Columbus Christian on Thursday in Carrollton, Alabama.
n Elsewhere in the area Tuesday night, Tupelo beat Columbus 14-0 and New Hope beat West Point in prep baseball action, while the Columbus fast-pitch softball team grabbed its first win of the season with a 28-10 win against Aberdeen.
Tennis
n Heritage Academy 8, Winston Academy 1: Heritage Academy swept the girls matches Tuesday in its victory against Winston Academy.
Gigi Fields and Sarah Curtis won at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. The doubles teams of Haley Barker and Emily Howard and Stella Nichols and Grayson Jones completed the sweep.
William Laws won at No. 2 singles in boys action. The doubles teams of Jack Ellis and Carter Smith and Mason Cline and John H Fields also won.
In mixed doubles, Lauren Pole and Tyner Swedenburg won 6-0, 6-0.
n Last week, Heritage Academy defeated East Webster 7-2 and Leake Academy 9-0.
Against East Webster, Curtis and Fields won at No. 1 and No. 2 girls singles. The doubles teams of Barker and Howard and Nichols and Jones also won.
Laws won at No. 2 singles in boys action. The No. 2 boys doubles team of Cline and Smith and the mixed doubles team of Pole and Swedenburg earned victories.
Against Leake Academy, Fields and Curtis and the teams of Barker and Howard and Nichols and Jones swept girls action.
Owen Riley, Laws, and the doubles teams of Ellis and Smith and Cline and Fields swept boys action.
Pole and Swedenburg won 6-0, 6-0 in mixed doubles.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.