By Brad Greer

What started as a slugfest turned out to be a romp as South Panola scored 10 unanswered runs on their way to a 15-5 five-inning win over Water Valley Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Tigers improved to 13-7 on the year while the 2A Blue Devils fell to 14-8 on the season.

Both teams combined for 13 runs, 10 hits and seven hit batsman in the first two innings as neither  teams starting pitcher, South Panola’s Matt Hendrix or Water Valley’s Drew Pratt made it through the second inning. Pratt gave up five runs on three hits while hitting four batters while lasting only 2/3 of an inning. Hendrix was lifted in the second inning after surrendering four runs on two hits and plucking three hitters while not recording an out.

Senior Whit Whitten came on in relief and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the second. From there on, the submarine righty silenced the Blue Devil bats to the tune of two hits and no runs in four innings to record the pitching victory.

After Water Valley jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Tigers responded with five runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame. David Renfroe and Whitten led off the inning by getting hit by pitches. Ethan Bright then drilled a RBI single to drive in Renfroe. After a Hendrix walk, Corbin Moore  slapped a single to right that produced two more runs. Joseph Blair followed with a bunt single that chased home courtesy runner Lee Self from third.

Pratt settled down to strike out the next two batters, but  hit No. 9 batter Dane Broome on a 0-2 count and hit Renfroe again to force in Moore. Pratt was then lifted for Shaquayle Jenkins who got Whitten to ground out to end the inning.

Water Valley scored four runs on three hits in the top of the second to tie the game at 5-5. Josh Johnson’s bases loaded triple was the big blow of the inning. The Tigers however took the lead for good by scoring three runs on three Blue Devil miscues for a 8-5 lead. Bright and Moore reached on errors followed by Blair’s single. Wesley Gregg followed with an RBI groundout.

The Tigers added three more in the bottom of the third to make the score 11-5 as Broome led off with a single followed by Renfroe’s triple. One batter later, Bright skied a deep sacifice fly in center to chase Renfroe home. Mitchel Babb then singled and scored on Moore’s third RBI of the game.

South Panola tacked on two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings to end the game. Bright and Babb led off with a single and double followed by Moore’s third single of the day. Babb would then score the final run as Blair reached on an error.

Moore led the Tigers at the plate with three hits and four RBI’s while Renfroe added two hits and three RBI’s. Babb, Bright and Blair each accounted for two hits while Gregg and Broome singled.

South Panola will host Starkville tonight and Tupelo Thursday in a pair a crucial district games. Tonight’s games start are at 4 and 6 p.m. Thursday’s games start with JV at 5 followed the varsity. Tonight’s contest will be “Senior Night” for  eight departing Tiger players.