March 12, 2010

Stone holds off Maroon Tide 5-4

by Carey Meitzler

Wiggins--Stone starting pitcher Holden Watts kept Picayune in check through six innings and drove in three runs to help his own

cause in leading the Tomcats to a 5-4 win over Picayune at Tomcat Field in Wiggins.   The loss evens both team's records at

1-1 in Region play after Picayune took a 10-1 win on Tuesday night at Picayune.

Picayune had runners at second and third in the top of the first with one out, but Holden worked out of the early jam.  Stone

got a run in the bottom of the first when Jamie Beckham walked with one out and scored on Holden's double to right field.

Stone added three runs in the second on an RBI single from Spencer Wilson and a two-run single from Holden for a 4-0 lead.

Picayune manufactured a run in the top of the third with a pair of walks, a Tomcat error, and a wild pitch that allowed Eric

Smith to score. Stone added a run in the third inning to lead 5-1.

Freshman Jacob Taylor relieved Picayune starter J.D. Stockstill in the fourth and held Stone scoreless in his three innings of

relief work on the mound.

With one out in the top of the seventh,  Braxton Lee doubled down the left field line and Holden was replaced by Dustin

Maulden.  Lee moved to third base on a wild pitch.  Eric Smith's fly ball to right field was dropped and Lee scored to make

it 5-2.  Jay Dedeaux hit a grounder to second base and an attempted throw to force Smith at second was late.   Marvin

Van Buren came on as a courtesy runner for the catcher Dedeaux.  Brandon Jurich grounded out to the second baseman and

the runners moved up to third and second with two out.  Jonathan Hickman singled to left center driving in Smith and Van

Buren to make it 5-4.  Drew Hedgepeth then hit a shot down the first baseline that Stone first baseman Spencer Wilson dove

to catch the ball, got to his feet and raced to tag first base to end the Tide's comeback.

Lee and Hickman each had two hits to lead the Maroon Tide (2-4, 1-1).  After non-region action on Saturday at Harrison

Central, Picayune hosts Wayne County on Tuesday in Region action with JV at 4:00pm and Varsity at 6:00pm.