March 26, 2010

Picayune completes sweep of Pearl River Central 7-4

by Carey Meitzler

Carriere--Picayune earned a sweep of their first home and home series of the season with Region foe Pearl River Central by

taking the second game by a 7-4 score at the Pearl River Central Sports Complex.  Picayune won 5-2 in the first game on

Tuesday.

Picayune loaded the bases in the top of the first, but couldn't score against PRC starter Ryan Rivet.  However, the Maroon Tide

got two runs in the second when Kyle Beech walked and was sacrificed to second by Drew Hedgepeth.  Freshman "Quick" Nick

Marble hit a hard one-hopper toward short stop that ricocheted off Beech resulting in the second out of the inning.  Marble

stole second base and then scored on leadoff hitter Braxton Lee's single to left center for a 1-0 lead.  Eric Smith singled to right

moving Lee to third.   A balk was called against Rivet bringing in Lee for a 2-0 lead.

PRC answered with two runs in their half of the inning on five base on balls and a wild pitch.  In the process, they chased starter

Jacob Taylor with the bases loaded and two outs.  Reliever DaKeith Burton got a fly ball to right field to get out of the bases loaded

jam.  Burton keep the Blue Devils scoreless the next four innings as he worked out of situations that stranded two runners in each

inning.

Picayune added a run in the fourth when Hedgepeth singled to center ,moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Marble, and scored

on Jay Dedeaux's single to left.  With two outs in the fifth inning, Marble made it a 4-2 game with a single to center that scored

Jonathan Hickman who had reached when he was hit by a pitch.

The Maroon Tide got three runs in the sixth.  Eric Smith reached on an infield single.  Dustin Caruso replaced Rivet and was

greeted by Jay Dedeaux's single to center.  Tevin Stubbs came on as a courtesy runner for Dedeaux, the catcher.  After Brandon

Jurich sacrificed the runners up one base with a bunt, Hickman pushed a bunt past Caruso, and with the second baseman breaking

to cover first base, the ball rolled freely between the pitcher's mound and second base allowing both Smith and Stubbs to score

making it 6-2.   Colton Lee walked to force Hickman to second base.  Hickman broke for third base when a pitch got slightly

away from PRC's catcher Kyle Mitchell.   Mitchell quickly retrieve the ball and attempted to retire Hickman who was running to

third base.  The throw to third base sailed into left field allowing Hickman to score for a 7-2 lead.

Burton pitched to the first three batters in the seventh getting a groundout for the first out before allowing a single by Rivet. 

Bull Mixon reached on an error and Burton was replaced by J.D. Stockstill.   Stockstill induced a fly ball from Dustin Caruso,

but rightfielder Hickman dropped the ball to load the bases.  Tyler McCay walked to force in a run and Aaron Lee hit a sacrifice fly

to center driving in Mixon to make it 7-4.  Stockstill ended the game with a strikeout of the next batter..

Picayune (4-8, 3-3) got three hits from Dedeaux while Braxton Lee, Eric Smith, and Marble added two hits apiece.

Pearl River (7-6, 3-3) was led by Rivet who had two singles and scored twice.