Saturday sports: Hernando baseball, softball, and Northpoint baseball advance

Center Hill baseball is forced to a decisive game three Monday evening

Photo: Players line up for post-game handshakes after Hernando defeated Lewisburg 3-2 to win the 7A second-round series in three games. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)

PREP BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

HERNANDO 3, LEWISBURG 2: A two-run sixth inning became the difference in the Tigers’ 3-2 victory over last year’s 6A state champions Lewisburg Patriots. The win gave Hernando a 2-1 series victory over Lewisburg in the 7A second round and will pit the Tigers against either Oxford or Madison Central in the North Half finals. Oxford won the first game of the series 5-3 over Madison Central Saturday night with game two scheduled for Monday at Oxford. Meyer Maddox and Brody Martin scored the eventual winning runs in the bottom of the seventh on a fielder’s choice ground ball by Preston Johnson. Hernando opened the scoring with a run in the first but Lewisburg took the lead two runs in the second on a two-run homer by Sam Richardson. Tyler Sullivan went the distance for Hernando on the mound with two runs and two hits allowed, striking out five.  Starter Stone McCaughey took the loss for Lewisburg, going five innings with three hits and three runs allowed. McCaughey walked seven and struck out five.  

7A baseball playoffs – best of three

Lewisburg vs. Hernando

Lewisburg 7, Hernando 2 

Hernando 8, Lewisburg 5

Hernando 3, Lewisburg 2 (Hernando wins 2-1)

GRENADA 4, CENTER HILL 3 (8 INNINGS): A single to right field with two out in the eighth inning scored the winning run in walk-off fashion for the Grenada Chargers Saturday afternoon by a final score of 4-3. The victory evened the series at one game each and set up a deciding game three Monday evening at Center Hill, beginning at 6 p.m. Grenada took the early 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Center Hill rallied with three runs in the fifth inning. The Chargers would tie the game at 3-3 to force extra innings.  Ayden Rodgers and Jamaryon Warren each had two of the Mustangs’ seven hits in the contest and Houston Green drove in a pair of runs. Rodgers doubled. Mac Atkins was tagged with the loss for Center Hill, allowing four runs on seven hits. Atkins walked four and struck out four.  

6A baseball playoffs – best of three

Center Hill vs. Grenada

Center Hill 2, Grenada 1 (Center Hill leads 1-0) 

Center Hill at Grenada 4, Center Hill 3 (8 inns. – Series tied 1-1)

Grenada at Center Hill – 6 pm -Monday

NORTHPOINT CHRISTIAN 12, FACS 3: Northpoint Christian stayed alive in the seeding portion of the TSSAA Division II-A West Region baseball tournament with the 12-3 victory over First Assembly Christian School (FACS). With the loss, FACS becomes the fourth seed from the West Region in the upcoming playoffs. Northpoint advanced to play St. George’s Monday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at University School of Jackson, Tenn. The Trojans can finish no worse than the number three seed into the state playoffs.  Saturday against FACS, Northpoint scored 12 unanswered runs after FACS had taken a 3-0 lead in the third inning. A three-run fourth inning gave the Trojans the lead and a six-run sixth inning put the game away.  Kayden Clayborn led the Trojans’ offense with three runs scored. Seth Giamportone collected three hits, including a double, and Jayden Parker and KL Farr each had two runs batted in.  Carson Jones was the winning pitcher for Northpoint with five hits and three runs allowed in going the seven-inning distance. Jones walked five and struck out six.  

TSSAA D2-A West Region baseball tournament

Lausanne Collegiate 11, Northpoint Christian 0 (5 inns.)

Northpoint Christian 10, Jackson Christian 5

Northpoint Christian 12, FACS 3

Northpoint Christian vs St. George’s – 4:30 p..m. Monday at USJ

PREP SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

HERNANDO 10, GERMANTOWN (MADISON) 4: Hernando scored in all but one inning against the Lady Mavs, which also suffered with seven errors in dropping the playoff series to Hernando in two straight games.  The Lady Tigers scored four in the first inning and three more in the third to put the game away. Kaitlyn Gentry scored three times for Hernando, Bertlee Barrett had three hits, and Olivia Higginbotham doubled for the Lady Tigers. Olivia Skinner was Hernando’s starting pitcher, threw 5.1 innings with seven strikeouts, three walks, four runs and seven hits allowed. Kate Johnson came into the game in relief, striking out three and allowing three hits. Hernando plays DeSoto Central in an all-DeSoto County North Half final series, starting Thursday at Hernando.  

7A softball playoffs – best of three

Hernando vs. Germantown (Madison)

Hernando 10, Germantown (Madison) 5

Hernando 10, Germantown (Madison) 4 (Hernando wins 2-0)

NJCAA Region 23 baseball tournament 

Hinds 9, Northwest 5 

Hinds 11, Northwest 6 (Hinds wins 2-0) 

NJCAA Region 23 softball tournament

Jones College 5, Northwest 1

Pearl River 1, Northwest 0 (NWCC season ends 27-20)