Friday sports: Gators sweep South Panola in key region baseball series

Photo: Lake Cormorant’s Peyton Collins crosses home plate for one of the Gators’ 11 first-inning runs in their 12-8 victory over South Panola Friday night at “The Swamp.” (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)

It’s a good thing for the Lake Cormorant baseball Gators that they scored 11 runs in the first inning against South Panola Friday night, or the final outcome may have been different. That’s because after the Gators took a 12-1 lead after two innings, the Tigers scored two runs in the fourth and then posted five more in the seventh and looked to be on the verge of more. But then, the Gators defense and relief pitching finally stepped in to slam the door on a 12-8 victory. 

“That’s what is going to win baseball games at the end of the day,” said Lake Cormorant coach Josh Burch.  “It’s really just dominant pitching, really just a shout out to pitching and defense.”

It’s an important win for a Lake Cormorant team battling to hold a playoff spot in Region 1-6A and possibly move up before the postseason begins.  

Now 15-4 overall, the Gators improved to 5-3 in region play in fourth place and dropped South Panola in fifth place at 1-7 in the region.

DeSoto County Scoreboard 

Friday, April 12

Prep baseball

Grenada 10-14, Olive Branch 2-2

Lake Cormorant 12, South Panola 8

Note: The Gators scored 11 runs in the first inning but had to hold in the seventh inning when South Panola scored five times. Michael Callahan scored two runs on two hits and had two RBIs to lead the Gator offense. Grant Mitchell scored twice on two hits and drove in a run.  Brayden Moberly also had two hits and two RBIs. Mitchell tripled, Moberly and Callahan both hit doubles.  Derrin Randle struck out five and walked four among three Gator pitchers in the victory, with Randle throwing 3.2 innings.  

Oxford 3, DeSoto Central 0

DeSoto Central was held to three hits in the loss. Conner Ferguson allowed two hits and an unearned run in three innings to take the pitching loss. Ferguson struck out three and walked two.  

Lewisburg 14, Southaven 1 (5 innings)

Note: The Patriots scored four or more runs in each of the first three innings in the run-rule victory.  Kody Gilmore scored three times with one hit and two RBIs in leading the Lewisburg offense.  Trae Cagle drove in four hits with a pair of doubles.  Matt Osteen was the winning pitcher with seven strikeouts and four walks in three innings pitched.  Sam McClinton doubled among only two Southaven hits.  

Center Hill 3, Saltillo 1

Note: Center Hill took the lead with a pair of runs in the third inning for a 2-1 lead.  Saltillo held to only two hits by Center Hill pitcher Houston Green, who struck out 14 and walked none in the complete-game pitching victory.  Green also hit safely twice and drove in a run.  

Prep softball

DeSoto Central 11, Southaven 1 (6 innings)

Note: DeSoto Central was aided by eight Southaven errors in the contest. Darby Smith scored three times on three hits and had two RBIs. Smith, Colby Young, Katelyn Short, and Londen Armstrong all doubled for DeSoto Central.  Young struck out eight and walked two in the complete-game pitching win.  

Hernando 8, Oxford 1

Note: Kaitlyn Gentry scored twice with three hits for the Lady Tigers, while Madison York scored a run on two hits and had two RBIs in the victory. York doubled and Jayla Sites tripled for Hernando. Olivia Skinner earned the pitching victory, allowing two hits, walked one and struck out three in three innings pitched.   

Millington Central 8, Northpoint Christian 5

Note: Millington Central used a walkoff grand slam homer by Riley Washburn in the bottom of the seventh inning to get the victory, the second straight against the Lady Trojans.  Northpoint had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh with three runs scored in that inning.  Hannah Bostain scored twice with two hits and two RBIs for Northpoint in the loss, and Faith Ryan had two hits and two RBIs, as well. Both of Ryan’s hits were doubles. Trinity Garvin struck out 10 and walked two in the circle for the Lady Trojans, but allowed eight runs on eight hits.  

Lake Cormorant 3, Olive Branch 2

Note: Lake Cormorant held on for the win despite two Olive Branch runs in the seventh inning.  Brook Irvin doubled for the Lady Gators and Alyssa Boswood struck out 11 for Lake Cormorant in the complete-game pitching victory.  Ana-Marie Teal had two hits for Olive Branch. Everlee Verdugo-Privette struck out two and walked three in the circle for the Lady Quistors.