Jaguars even state title series with Cougars

Deciding game three is Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Pearl

DeSoto Central and Northwest Rankin will play for a 6A state baseball championship Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Pearl. The Jaguars rallied from a game one loss Friday night to defeat the Cougars 11-3 and tie the best-of-three series at one-game apiece.  

Saturday night, DeSoto Central got strong pitching from Brock Tapper and put together two big innings in beating Northwest Rankin.  The Jags scored four times in the second inning for a 4-0 lead and added seven more in the sixth inning as an answer after the Cougars had moved within 4-3 in their half of the sixth frame.  

Combined, Jaguar pitchers fanned 14 Cougars in the victory with Tapper striking out 12. Luke Sides pitched the seventh inning and struck out two more.  DeSoto Central also took advantage of three Northwest Rankin errors.  

Offensively, Ryan Musselwhite drove in three runs for DeSoto Central on a pair of hits. Connor Keogh also reached base on a pair of hits for the Jaguars. Josh King drove in a pair of runs. 

Musselwhite doubled among his two base hits, as did Gavin Brassfield. Kristian Sprawling reached base on a triple, driving in another run.  

Tapper allowed seven hits and all three Cougar runs, two of them earned.