SALTILLO — The New Hope High School baseball team continued its busy stretch by dropping a 4-2 decision to Saltillo on Tuesday night in a Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A, Region 2 game.
New Hope (9-10, 2-3 region) has played five games in the last five days. On Friday, New Hope beat West Point twice in region play — taking a 10-0 victory in the completion of a suspended game from earlier in the week and then winning 7-0 in the regularly scheduled game. Outside region play, New Hope dropped a 4-3 decision to Fayette County (Alabama) on Saturday on the road and a 7-6 decision to Houston at home Monday night.
With four region games remaining, Oxford clinched a playoff berth Tuesday. It will secure the region’s No. 1 seed with one more win. New Hope and Saltillo are tied for second, one game ahead of West Point.
New Hope has lost by one run five times and two runs twice this season.
For Saltillo (13-4, 2-3), Dylan Hitchcock threw a complete-game three-hitter. He didn’t allow an earned runs, walked one, and struck out five.
New Hope scored twice in the third inning, while Saltillo scored all of its runs in the sixth.
Tyler Murphy had two hits for New Hope, while Thomas Stevens had the other hit.
Carson Forrester was lifted with two outs in the sixth and took the loss.
Against Houston, New Hope erased a 5-0 deficit by scoring six times in the third. The Hilltoppers then scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth.
Forrester and Murphy had two hits to highlight a 10-hit attack. Forrester hit a three-run home run to highlight the six-run third.
Trey Klostermann was lifted with one out in the sixth and took the loss.
Fayette County scored three times in the home half of the seventh to stun New Hope on Saturday.
The Trojans were held to three hits and were hurt by two errors.
In the 7-0 victory against West Point, New Hope scored in five innings. The Trojans had six hits in support of Peyton Buckner, who threw a four-hit shutout with eight strikeouts.
Parker Lane had three hits, while Stevens had three RBIs.
In the suspended contest, New Hope expanded a 4-0 fourth-inning lead. Back-to-back bases-loaded walks started a five-run fourth, which was where play was halted. The Trojans added three scores in the sixth to hit the run rule.
Murphy had three hits and Lane had two hits to highlight a 10-hit attack. Bryce Braddock and Lane each had three RBIs.
Noah Brock and Forrester combined on a four-hit shutout.
n Oxford 19, West Point 2: At Oxford, the Chargers scored 13 runs in the first and cruised from there in Class 5A, Region 2 play.
Seth Edwards had two hits to highlight West Point’s five-hit attack. Marquez Carter and Baker Watson had RBIs for the Green Wave (7-12, 1-4).
In a 9-3 loss to Amory on Saturday, Roe Ketchum had two hits for the Green Wave. West Point has lost six in a row.
n Starkville-Callaway moved to today: The Class 6A, Region 3 game between Starkville and Callaway was postponed due to wet field conditions and relocated.
Originally set for Jackson, the teams will play a varsity doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. today at Carlisle Field in Starkville.
Both teams are winless in region play with 0-4 records. Northwest Rankin and Madison Central have clinched the other two playoff berths from this region.
Starkville (5-11) has lost four straight.
Starkville lost to Lake 14-6 on Saturday at Nanih Waiya. The Hornets had out 14 hits and built their lead thanks in large part to a six-run first and five-run seventh. Jack Perry had three RBIs for Starkville.
Starkville lost to Northwest Rankin 8-3 in region play Friday night. Conner Reinike had two of the Yellow Jackets’ five hits. Griffen Little pitched three innings and took the loss.
n South Panola 14, Columbus 3: At Columbus, the Falcons fell in Class 6A, Region 2 action at Sammy Fletcher Field on Tuesday night.
The Tigers (5-11, 2-3) scored eight times in the fourth to bring the run rule into effect.
Jamad Horn and LaQuinston Sharp had hits for the Falcons (1-12, 0-6).
Elsewhere in the region, Tupelo beat Hernando 3-0 Tuesday night. The Golden Wave (13-7, 6-0) can clinch the No. 1 seed in the region with another win against Hernando on Friday night. Both teams are in the playoffs, while South Panola can secure the third spot by beating Columbus once in a doubleheader Friday night.
n Houston 1, Caledonia 0: At Caledonia, the Confederates dropped a heart-breaker in the Class 4A, Region 4 race on Tuesday night.
Houston and Kosciusko (each at 7-0) are tied for the region lead. Caledonia (11-8, 4-3) can clinch the third seed from the region by winning one of its final three games — Friday at Houston and a doubleheader at Noxubee County on Tuesday.
For the Confederates, Logan Suggs allowed two hits and one run (six strikeouts) in six innings. Sam Cooper had two of Caledonia’s three hits.
In a 9-3 win at New Albany on Saturday, Triston Gardner had three hits for Caledonia. Seth Brown added two. Spencer Unruh had three RBIs, while Brown and Gardner had two RBIs. Hunter McMurphey pitched four innings to garner the win.
Back inside region play, Caledonia beat Louisville 6-4 on Friday night at East Central Community College. The Confederates scored three times in the seventh to rally.
Brown and Suggs had two hits.
Elsewhere in the area Tuesday night, West Lowndes dropped a 14-1 decision to Nanih Waiya in Class 1A, Region 5 play.
n Starkville Academy 12, Leake Academy 4: At Starkville, the Volunteers had 17 hits to record the victory in Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class AAA, District 2 play.
Starkville Academy (6-5, 4-1) will complete the second rotation through its district schedule by playing Thursday night at Leake Academy. The third series meeting against Heritage Academy is set for Tuesday night at Columbus.
Will Miller led the Volunteers with four hits. Carter Roach and Taylor Arnold had three hits, while Will Holley and Kyle Faver each had two hits. Codie Futral had four RBIs, while Holley drove in three runs. Futral hit a three-run inside-the-park home run, while Holley hit a two-run home run.
Monday’s Starkville Academy-Kirk Academy game was canceled by rain.
n Heritage Academy 11, Winston Academy 1: At Columbus, the Patriots kept their title hopes alive in the MAIS Class AAA, District 2 race by cruising to a big win at home.
The game was scoreless before Heritage Academy erupted for six runs in the fourth, three in the fifth, and two in the sixth.
Tyler Anderson led a nine-hit attack with two hits. Brandon Jones had two RBIs for the Patriots (9-13-1, 3-2).
Heritage Academy beat Leake Academy 6-5 in another district game Friday night at home.
Toby Young provided the game-winning hit. Anderson was the lone multiple hitter for the Patriots.
Heritage Academy will prep for its battle for first place against Starkville Academy on Tuesday night by playing Winston Academy on Thursday in Louisville. The Patriots need to win two of their final four district games to make the playoffs.
n Pickens Academy clinches area title: At Toxey, Alabama, the Pirates took Game 2 of the doubleheader 7-2 to clinch the area title.
Pickens Academy (10-5) lost Game 1 4-3.
In the nightcap, JJ Scott (3-1) allowed three hits in six innings to get the win. He walked one and struck out 10. Zac Hamilton struck out one to get the save.
Austin Goodman and Scott had two hits, Clark Noland had a single and two RBIs, Nyc Gann had a double and an RBI, John Michael Smith had a single, and Hugh Cameron had a single and an RBI.
In Game 1, Scott took the loss. He allowed one run and two hits in one-third of an inning.
Jeff White started and scattered eight hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out three.
Cameron had a double, Kris Cooper, John Michael Smith, and Hunter Wilber had singles, and Austin Pate had a single and an RBI.
Pickens Academy will play host to Columbus Christian at 6 p.m. Thursday.
n In prep softball action Tuesday night, Saltillo maintained its region lead with a 2-1 victory against New Hope, while Oxford beat West Point, 11-6. Starkville also defeated Columbus, 21-9.
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