The Parklane Academy baseball team defeated the Copiah Academy Colonels 12-2 through five innings on Tuesday night and took a single-game lead within their division.
Parklane and Copiah entered the game tied in the division, and will play a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday at Copiah to determine the winner of the three-game series.
“This win is huge for us,” Pioneers head coach Robert Young said. “It puts us in the driver’s seat for the series and sets the tempo even though we’re going up there to play two games at their place. It always helps to win the first game.”
The Pioneers got out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Payton Yawn led off the lineup by being walked, stealing second, and then coming home score off an one-run single to center field from Quartez Brown. A failed pickoff attempt by Copiah Academy’s starting pitcher Austin Ragland moved Brown to third base, and he crossed home plate after Zach Thomas singled to center field.
Yawn also started the game on the mound for Parklane, striking out the side in the top of the second inning to hold on to the 2-0 lead. Yawn finished the game with seven strikeouts, three short of his personal record for one game.
The Colonels tied the game back up in the top of the third inning when Ladarius Stovall, who was previously walked, came home to score off of a Brandt Jones one-run single. Caston Granger reached first base on a fielder’s choice and the Pioneers tagged Jones out at second while Connor Jones, a courtesy runner for Ragland, came home to score and tie the game at 2.
However, it didn’t take long at all for the Pioneers to regain control of the lead. Yawn was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the third inning, stole second base, and reached third base after Brown laid down a bunt that also kept him safe at first.
Brown went on to steal second base, and moved to third after Thomas singled to bring home Yawn for the 3-2 lead. Taylor Alford entered the game as a courtesy runner for Thomas, and a wild pitch later advanced him to second base. Ragland walked the next two Parklane batters, loading the bases after walking Corey Lewis, and allowing Brown to score after walking Justin Johnston to put the Pioneers ahead 4-2.
Following the run, Copiah’s Peyton Smith entered the game on the mound for the Colonels. Newlon Gillihan picked up the first hit against Smith by singling to center field and bringing home Alford to score and put Parklane up 5-2 heading into the fourth inning.
Thomas’ one-run single in the fourth inning brought Yawn, who was previously walked, home to score and extended the Pioneers’ lead to 6-2.
A wild pitch thrown to Lewis scored Brown for the 7-2 lead, and a ground out by Johnston scored Alford, who was in the game again as a courtesy runner for Thomas.
The Pioneers put the mercy rule to use, putting together four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to go up 12-2 and finish off the Colonels.
Yawn hit a double off of Meadows, and Brown followed it up by being hit by a pitch. A passed ball advanced both runners, and after Thomas was walked the bases were loaded once again for Parklane. Lewis was also walked and that brought home Yawn to score. A wild pitch thrown to Johnston brought home Brown and Alford to make it 11-2, and a walk-off walk to Gillihan scored the final run.
“Being able to load the bases on multiple occasions was huge for us. Our guys executed some things tonight offensively that put us in some good situations,” Young said.
“We’ve just got to stay in the grind. We’ll enjoy the win tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll get back to work.”
