Tide Playoff Hopes Dashed; Tigers Win 2-0

By: Carey Meitzler

Freshman T.J. House pitched a marvelous game for Picayune in what was actually a playoff

game as the winner would vault into next week's playoff round. However, Hattiesburg's Collin

Cargill one upped House and tossed a one-hit shutout as the Tigers took a 2-0 win.  

Cargill, a junior righthander, kept Picayune off balance all night with his submarine, side-arm

delivery.  House matched Cargill pitch for pitch until the bottom of the fifth inning when the

Tigers would score the only run they would need.

Josh Chatman reached first on an infield single that House couldn't get a handle on near the

first base foul line.  An errant pick-off attempt from Tide catcher Alex Riser put Chatman at

second base. Kyle Moore laid down a sacrifice bunt moving Chatman to third base.  Tiger

skipper Larry Knight went to his bench and sophomore Chip Phillips delivered a pinch hit

single to right to plate Chatman and give Hattiesburg a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Reggie Lee reached on

an error and moved to second base on a wild pitch.  Sophomore  designated hitter Robert

Carson lined a single to right center field to score Lee and make it 2-0.

The Tide's only hit was a leadoff double by Alex Riser in top of the sixth inning.  With Riser

at second, Britton Fortenberry was out on strikes attempting to lay down a sacrifice bunt that

went foul on a two strike count. Riser's time on the bases was short-lived as he was tagged

out at third base trying to advance on a grounder off the bat of Heath Stevens.  Stevens, who

reached first on the fielders' choice when Riser was out at third, would eventually reach third

after stealing second base and moving to third as the throw from Tiger catcher Josh Wiley went

into center field.  That's as far as Stevens would get as Hoyt Hughes was intentionally walked

and Cargill got Sean Garrard to hit into a force play to end the inning.

Hattiesburg earns the Division 5-5A runner up spot and will play at Warren Central next Thursday

in the first round of the South State 5A playoffs.  Game 2 will be in Hattiesburg on Friday and if

a third game is neccesary it would be at Warren Central on Saturday.

Line Score
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

R
H
E
Picayune
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
1
2
Hattiesburg
0
0
0
0
1
1
X

2
7
3

Hattiesburg (19-4, 5-3) - Division 5 Runner up

Picayune (14-11, 4-5)

WP - Cargill, Colin   7 IP,  1 Hit, 3 BB (2 intentional), 9 Ks

LP - House, T.J.       6.1  7 Hits, 2 Runs, 1 earned, 2 BB, 4 Ks