A 13-run first inning set the tone as the Heritage Academy baseball team swept Canton Academy in a pair of Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class AAA, District 2 games Tuesday night at Trip Carson Field.
Heritage Academy won 17-3 and 10-1.
With the victories, Heritage Academy (15-6, 6-2) has won six-straight district games. It can enter the final week of the regular season in a two-way tie with Starkville Academy for first place in the district standings with a win Thursday at Canton Academy. Heritage Academy also clinched a playoff berth with Tuesday’s victories.
In Game 1, Banks Hyde had four hits, while J.R. Lott had two hits and five RBIs. Blayze Berry had two hits, Parker Ray had three RBIs, and K.J. Smith had two RBIs. Reid Huskison pitched three innings. Berry struck out five in two innings.
In Game 2, Berry had a hit and two walks, Smith had three walks, Ray had two walks, and Hyde had two RBIs. Carter Putt had an RBI. He also struck out six in five innings.
n Starkville Academy 14, Philadelphia 3: At Philadelphia, the Volunteers scored 12 times in the fourth inning to take a run-rule victory in an MAIS/Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) game.
Starkville Academy scored twice in the first inning but rallied from a 3-2 deficit when it sent 16 batters to the plate in the fourth.
For Starkville Academy (17-5), Cameron McKee had a single and double, while Kyle Faver had two hits to lead a nine-hit attack. Will Miller added a double, while Taylor Arnold, Nason Heflin, Ben Owens, and Howell Archer added hits. Arnold had three RBIs, while Heflin drove in two runs.
Arnold allowed two earned runs on one hit. He struck out seven in the complete-game victory.
n Northwest Rankin 12, Starkville 2: At Jackson, the Yellow Jackets fell on the road in MHSAA Class 6A, Region 3 play Tuesday night.
Northwest Rankin (18-4, 7-2) erased a 2-0 deficit with four runs in the third, seven in the fourth, and a run in the fifth to bring the run rule into effect.
Starkville (12-11, 1-6) can clinch the third playoff spot in this region with a win Friday at Murrah.
n Saltillo 2, West Point 1: At Saltillo, the homestanding Tigers scored in the bottom of the seventh to take a victory in MHSAA Class 5A, Region 2 play.
Saltillo (10-10, 4-4) takes the season series and would hold the tiebreaker. However, West Point (10-11, 4-3) still holds second place in the region with two region games remaining.
Saltillo senior Pate Phillips threw a one-hitter and struck out seven strikeouts. JG Wood had the walk-off single.
Davion Goree had an RBI single in the first for the Green Wave’s lone hit and run.
Roe Ketchum allowed one run and three hits six innings. He struck out seven. Seth Edwards threw the seventh.
n Amory 6, Caledonia 4: At Amory, a late rally wasn’t enough for the Confederates in MHSAA Class 4A, Region 2 play.
Caledonia (11-10, 5-4) enters the final game of region play — Thursday at home against Amory — in sole possession of fourth place in the region standings. The Confederates have clinched a playoff berth.
Houston Mims and Westlee Honeycutt had two hits to lead the Confederates. Beau Bates and Sawyer Brown also had hits for Caledonia.
Mims drove two runs.
Bates started on the mound and was lifted with one out in the third. Hunter McMurphey completed the game.
n In prep softball action Tuesday night, Caledonia moved into first place in the MHSAA Class 4A, Region 2 standings with a 5-2 victory against Pontotoc.
Caledonia (14-2, 8-1) won its ninth-straight game to take a one-game lead against Pontotoc (12-4, 7-2) in the region standings.
The teams will play again Thursday at Pontotoc.
n Pickens Academy 13, Tuscaloosa Academy 10: At Carrollton, Alabama, the Lady Pirates improved to 19-2 with their home victory Tuesday.
Sydney Kilpatrick allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings. She walked four and struck out seven.
Audrey Fondren had three singles, while Shelby Lowe, Allison Latham, Courtney Dudley, Lauren Duckworth, Caroline Lewis, and Carleigh Cameron went 2-for-4 for the Lady Pirates.
Pickens Academy will play Thursday at Bessemer Academy.
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